Love Stones
by clementine-rose
Summary: AU-Rose is 21 today! And The Doctor has a surprise for her, all the way at the far reaches of the universe. But, on their way through the Vortex, something happens and the Doctor forgets many things; including Rose. Will she have a happy birthday? Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_Authors Note: Hey guys! First chapter of first story written on here, so I'm not quite sure it's gonna turn out but hopefully not too bad! Please, be nice as it's my first try! Rated T for safety in future chapters! Review if you enjoy or think I should carry this story on please. Thank you )_

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Rose stretched, reaching her arms above her head until they touched the headboard of her bed. Grumbling incoherently from being roused from her slumber, she shuffled onto her side to snuggle back into the soft pillows that lay beneath her head.

_Not getting up today...nope I'm not! I don't care if a Dalek appears any second now, I'm not budging!_

Smiling sleepily to herself, Rose allowed the familiar wave of sleep to slowly wash over her, lulling her into a warm world full of dreams that contained no hint of impending doom within the deep reaches of space, no life of death situations, no panic or fear, just warmth and pleasant thoughts. As she felt the wave rock towards said warm world, a loud noise reached her ears and a frown creased her face. Dismissing it, Rose focused on drifting off again when a similar sound echoed throughout her room as her bedroom door crashed open.

''Well!'' A familiar voice called loudly. ''Never known Rose Tyler to ignore a sound which could only mean that the Doctor is up to something!''

_Ohh great._

Rose mumbled something at him before turning over on her bed, allowing her eyes to remain shut as she turned her back to the Doctor. Tucking the covers tightly around herself, she willed him to leave her, just for a few more hours, just so she could stay buried in her cosy bed.

Of course, the Doctor would never allow such a thing.

Rose groaned again as she felt the mattress sink with his weight, meaning that he was now sitting beside her. She raised her arm slightly to throw a lazy slap at his leg which she suspected was in close proximity to her, but caught nothing but air. His soft chuckle danced past her ears as he poked her gently on the shoulder.

''Ahh if only our most fearsome and dangerous enemies could see this; Dame Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth, all snuggled up in bed, completely defenceless.''

_Defenceless? Ha!_

Growling slightly, Rose cracked open one eye to peer at the Doctor who sat beside her, grinning brightly.

''Somehow Doctor, I don't think you would be saying that if you know the tragedy that befalls the man that wakes a women from her slumber.''

He laughed again. ''Oh dear me, do tell, what is this so called tragedy that will befall me?''

A second later there was a shriek of pain from the Doctor as Rose sank her nails into his leg, before grinning sleepily.

''That, my dear Doctor, is the tragedy.''

He frowned at her, rubbing his leg as she smiled innocently at him before burying herself under the covers once more with her head barely visible. The Doctor continued to stroke the place where she had pinched him but a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Leaning closer to his companion, he placed his lips next to her ear, allowing his breath to trickle down her neck.

''You know, my infinite knowledge of you humans has led me to believe that you tend to be excited when it reaches a certain day, one in which you get to celebrate because that certain day is dedicated just to you...''

Rose felt a shiver shoot down her spine as his words tickled her skin, caressing the sensitive shell of her ear. A smirk crept across the Doctor's face; oh how he loved to tease his young human companion. Rose dared to draw in a shaky breath before tilting her head back to look at him properly, determined to not let him see the effect he had on her by simply breathing.

''And what exactly is this certain day your infinite knowledge has informed you of?''

The Doctor regarded her for a moment, a soft smile upon his face. Rose looked back at him, a drowsy grin dancing across her delicate face, her golden hair framing her features gently like a heavenly glow. He really was lucky, and not for the fact that he had the ability to change every cell in his body to save himself from dying, or the fact that he possessed a ship that could take him anywhere and everywhere with a few pulls of a lever and a slap of several buttons.

The Doctor was lucky, because of the young woman that lay next to him, a sight so innocent and pure that he couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. For so many years, more than he even dared to count he had been on his own, occasionally meeting the odd acquaintance or faraway friend that he would possibly meet again in some turn and twist of events but even then, he was still always on his own.

Until the day he met Rose.

His Rose. His ever loyal, ever loving friend. Without even realizing it, she had saved him. Not from the most fearsome and terrifying creatures that littered the universe, but from himself. From his own loneliness that could swallow him whole at any moment in time before he had met her; before she had rescued him. Looking at her now, secure and snug under the thick covers of her bed, she didn't look capable of hurting a fly. Yet, the Doctor knew otherwise. His Rose has stared death in the face so many times without backing down and was still able to smile at him every night, still able to press a kiss to his cheek before she disappeared to sleep.

For the simple fact she still wanted to stay with him and still cared for him despite the way he threw them across the universe, stretched the fabric of time to confusing lengths and dragged her into adventures that could lead to certain death, he was extremely lucky.

A hand danced in front of his eyes and he blinked quickly before grinning at Rose sheepishly, knowing that once again she had caught him in one of his drifting thoughts, that usually consisted of nothing but her.

She smiled up at him. ''You were saying, Doctor?''

The proud, teasing grin snaked its way back across his lips so slowly that Rose had to laugh at the way his face lit up with mischief.

''Well, my dear Rose, as I was saying! My infinite knowledge has led me to the conclusion that you humans enjoy a certain day, a personal day that causes great excitement and celebrations to occur.''

Rose scrunched her nose in thought for a moment. ''You mean, you have come to the conclusion that humans really enjoy their birthdays?''

The Doctor beamed at her. ''Exactly!''

A bemused look crossed Rose's face as she cocked her head to one size, her eyes silently enquiring him, urging him to explain the direction of their conversation.

He reached out a hand and gently cupped her cheek, lightly grazing the pad of his thumb across the soft skin. His grin stretched wider, allowing creases to form in the corners of his twinkling eyes.

''Happy birthday Rose.''

The Doctor chuckled as Rose stared at him incredulously for a moment before shooting upright, brown eyes wide and mouth gaping.

''It's my birthday?''

A look of playful disbelief decorated his face as he continued to laugh softly. ''Rose Tyler! You forgot your own birthday! You are officially twenty one years old today!''

Instead of a burst of excitement followed by hysterical screaming, like the Doctor expected, Rose simply continued to stare at him, with nothing more than a look of surprise etched upon her face.

Frowning slightly, the Doctor frowned before raising his hand to her forehead, pushing her tousled back as his palm rested against her skin.

''Are you feeling alright? You don't seem too excited...I thought you would have been giggling and shrieking and demanding presents by this point.''

As though snapping out of a daze, Rose blinked rapidly and smiled gently. ''You remembered my birthday?''

Dropping his hand to her shoulder to give an affectionate squeeze, the Doctor cocked his head to one side in slight disbelief at her question. ''As if I could forget your birthday Rose, couldn't forget anything about you, even if I tried.''

Rose felt tears tickle her eyes as she looked at the tender expression on his face and listened to the softness of his words. Suddenly shy, she ducked her head to avoid his gaze. He chuckled softly before brushing his fingertips gently and quickly across her chin.

''Well, c'mon Rose! The birthday girl isn't supposed to stay in bed all day...unless there is some new earth concept that has avoided my knowledge...'' He stopped and Rose smiled as his brow furrowed slightly and his eyes became dark with thought. ''Nah, not possible!'' He grinned manically at her before leaping off the bed, full of boundless energy as always.

Rose groaned but allowed him to pull her from the bed and wrap her fluffy pink dressing gown around her. He smiled at her gently.

''You always remind me of a giant marshmallow when you wear that.''

Rose blinked at him before grinning, her tongue making its usual appearance between her teeth.

''You calling me fat?''

The Doctor's face dropped from a look of excitement to one of pure horror and slight confusion at the question she had thrown at him. Rose giggled inwardly at his discomfort, watching as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment.

''No! I was not calling you fat at all! I just meant you look all soft and pink...like a marshmallow...and that's a good thing! Because I'm quite fond of marshmallows, they're all sweet and fluffy and generally pink...like you...and...You're gonna slap me now aren't you?''

Rose burst out laughing as the Doctor stepped back slightly for fear of receiving a slap to the face. She stepped forward and gazed up at him, grinning at the terrified expression that hung on his face.

''Doctor, I was only teasing. It's a very nice thing to say, and it's good to know you're so enthusiastic about marshmallows.''

The Doctor almost seemed to collapse with relief before throwing her a look of mock-annoyance.

''Rose Tyler, you're going to give me a double heart attack one of these days!''

Rose smiled sweetly at him, and the Doctor could do nothing but smile back at her, loosing himself in her honey-like eyes.

''So...do I get presents?''

The Doctor allowed his mouth to stretch into a huge grin as he reached down and simply took her hand, before leading her out of the room.

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_Aww don't ya just love birthdays! And the Doctor and Rose of course! So...what does everybody think? Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Authors Note: Second chapter yay!! It's actually a lot longer than I intended it to be but I just couldn't help myself. Hopefully you will enjoy the second part of my story, please review, thank you! )_

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Rose felt butterflies of excitement dance in her stomach as The Doctor led her through the large corridors that made up only a small part of the TARDIS. Rose smiled to herself as she let her mind wander; through the corridors and rooms she had never visited upon the ship, to the attic that the Doctor had mentioned once but had never shown her, the countless number of bathrooms, two of only which she had seen, to the garden that apparently contained a vast number of ancient flora...

Rose shook her head to dismiss her curious thoughts in order to pay attention to the Doctor who was rambling away, completely unaware that she had floated off in her own mind for a few moments.

''Of course, I had assistance with the cake, I mean I may be a genius and all but...things involving the kitchen aren't exactly high on my huge list of abilities...''

He paused as he heard a soft giggle behind him. He turned to see Rose covering her giant smile, trying to smother her laughter.

''You...baked a cake?!''

The Doctor frowned as his young companion erupted into a fit of laughter, leaning against him as she clutched her side from the force of it. He sighed and waited for her to quieten down, folding his arms in a disgruntled manner.

''I'm sorry!'' Rose gasped in a weak voice as she clutched hold of his jacket in an attempt to steady herself. ''I'm sorry, it's just I can't imagine you doing something so...domestic!''

The Doctor raised his eyebrows in slight amusement as Rose doubled over again, her laughter echoing along the hall. He smiled, unable to help the soft surge of joy that jolted through him at the sight and sound of Rose laughing. Grasping her shoulders gently, he tilted her back until he could see her face, which was tainted with a rosy glow.

''None of that Miss Tyler, you and I both know that I do not do domestic! Besides, if you had been listening to what I was saying instead of dancing around inside your own head, you would have heard me say that I had assistance with making the cake!''

Rose grinned at him, her chest rising and falling quicker than normal due to the fit of giggles.

''You mean...the TARDIS baked me a cake?''

The Doctor pasted a look of offence upon his handsome face, before tapping her gently on the tip of her nose.

''Oi! I said I had assistance, which means that she helped me! A joint effort if you will, although the first few attempts were quite a disaster...''

Rose smirked. ''In other words, you and the TARDIS had a bit of a fight over your artistic differences.''

The Doctor chuckled. ''Well, she's a stubborn girl, and there comes a time where I am in no position to argue with her; that position being when she is the one in control of the electric whisk.''

The two of them snorted in amusement before continuing their journey to the console room, Rose jogging excitedly behind the Doctor.

After wandering through several more corridors, Rose spotted the familiar sight of the console room beginning to loom over the top of the spiky hair that belonged to the Doctor. The excitement buzzed through her like electricity and she squeezed the Doctor's hand. He stopped walking and turned to look at her, a giant grin of excitement plastered across his face. Rose raised her eyebrows at him.

''Bloody hell Doctor, anyone would think it was your birthday we were celebrating!''

The Doctor responded by gripping her hand even tighter and jumped slightly on the spot.

''I just can't wait to see your face that's all! But first, you have to close your eyes.''

Rose eyed him suspiciously, although it was somewhat hard considering how cute he looked at that very moment. Eyes alight with the thrill of giving her a present, face gently creased into a joyful smile, tufts of brown hair standing up all over the place, his soft hand holding hers so tightly...Rose sighed before complying, and released his fingers to place both of her hands over her eyes.

The Doctor bent forward slightly until his head was level with hers, and he peered at her hands. Finding no traces of gaps between her fingers which she could peek through, he grinned before he stepped behind her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.

''Remember, no peeking!''

''Just hurry up! I cannot wait to see how this cake turned out.''

The Doctor laughed, and Rose tried to hide the small yet uncontrollable shiver that skipped along her back as she felt his chest vibrate against her back. The Doctor gently poked her forward and steered her slowly forward.

Rose stumbled and tripped repeatedly as the Doctor led her in what could only be described as a drunken dance; left, right, forward and back over and over again until eventually she was brought to a halt by a soft dig of his fingers on her shoulders.

''Doctor?''

She could almost hear him grin as he pushed her back gently.

''Sit down.''

Rose lowered herself down until she felt the soft material of a chair behind her. She squirmed until a comfortable position was gained, and then waited.

''Doctor? If this is some kind of joke, I'm seriously going to make you pay!''

The Doctor gave a bark of laughter from somewhere in front of her.

''Oh ye of little faith, c'mon Rose, I thought you trusted me!''

''I do! But I'm still sat here with my hands over my eyes so can you please just let me see what it is that you've done?''

''Good things come to those who wait!''

Rose sighed impatiently, barely resisting the urge to leap up and deck him for making her wait so long.

''Alright Rose...open your eyes.''

Rose slowly dropped her hands and allowed her eyes to roam over the sight before her. She was sat upon a chair beside the controls of the TARDIS, with a small table in front of her that was covered with a pink cover. On top of the table sat two packages, wrapped carefully in blue and green paper. Beside the presents sat a large cake that released such an overpowering scent of chocolate that Rose could barely contain the urge to snatch a slice and gobble it down. On closer inspection, she discovered several words iced in a bright green colour upon the top of the cake; 'Happy Birthday Rose! Love from me and the TARDIS!'.

Rose sat back in her chair, completely stunned and touched by the gesture that sat before her. Glancing upwards, she suddenly noticed that the Doctor was sat at the opposite end of the table, one foot upon the cloth and one hand playing with the side of his ear, watching her with a curious smile on his face.

''Well? Do you like it?''

Rose opened her mouth in order to speak but no words came out and instead, a familiar burning sensation occurred in the back of her eyes and suddenly, tears were spilling down her cheeks.

''Rose?''

The Doctor scrambled out of his seat and was beside her in a second, gripping her hands in his. His hearts bounced furiously inside him and he mentally kicked himself for upsetting her, despite the fact that he had been absolutely sure she would enjoy this. Rose turned to face him, and the Doctor felt a powerful wave of sadness wash over him as he took in the sight of her giant shining eyes, and the tears that travelled down her cheeks.

''Oh Rose, I'm really sorry! I was so sure you would enjoy this...''

Rose blinked at him, and the Doctor stared at her in confusion as she smiled brightly at him.

''You absolute git!''

An indignant look appeared on the Doctor's face and he opened his mouth to protest, but was stunned into silence as Rose placed her hand against his cheek. Her smile grew bigger and her eyes shone softly.

''I'm not crying because I'm upset, I'm just so...touched. Doctor, this is so special, nobody has done anything so lovely for me in a long time. I just can't believe you went to all this trouble...''

Rose trailed off as a low grumble and a slight dip in the lighting above them alerted her to the presence of the TARDIS around them. She chuckled and patted the control panel beside her.

''And you too old girl, thank you''.

Rose turned her attention back to the Doctor, who was smiling with relief. She stroked the soft skin of his cheek with her thumb and he positively beamed at her.

''Trust me Doctor, something like this could never upset me. I'm so grateful...thank you.''

The Doctor almost toppled backwards as Rose threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck so tightly that he could barely breathe, but he really didn't mind. Burying his nose into her golden hair, he wound his arms around her waist and held her tightly to him, savouring the weight of her body pressed against his. He treasured moments like this; where he could just simply hold her to him and do nothing but enjoy it, and not have to worry about any dangers that could scurry by at any moment.

After several blissful moments, a giggle tickled the side of his ear and the Doctor pulled back to look at Rose. She blushed and smiled bashfully at him.

''Your heartbeats were tickling me.''

Had they been going that fast? Surely not, The Doctor pondered quickly as embarrassment began to show itself across his face. Blast this body, one hug from his young companion and he couldn't control himself!

Ever the master in getting himself out of awkward situations, he jumped up from her embrace and grinned manically at her.

''Well at least you know they're beating! Now c'mon, open your presents and then we can scoff down that cake!''

''Who says you get any?'' Rose stuck her tongue out at him.

The Doctor twisted his face into an equally offensive position before dropping back into his seat. Rose laughed before turning back to study the two presents that sat in front of her. The Doctor watched with amusement and curiosity as her eyes scanned the shape and size of both gifts before selecting the smallest one. It was circular in shape but hard when Rose tapped her fingers against it through the wrapping paper. The Doctor had seen her go through this process at Christmas, but it never failed to fascinate him.

Finally completing her examination of the gift, Rose grinned excitedly before ripping the paper away. A small ornament fell into her hand; a delicate glass ball sat upon a green china base, a snow globe. Rose peered into the ball to see a picture of the New New York; the one she and the Doctor had visited before. She shook it gently and instead of snow, small twinkling pieces, almost like stars began to dance in front of the picture. Rose watched the ball for a moment before turning her gaze to the Doctor, who simply smiled at her.

''It's beautiful.''

He beamed at her. ''Knew you would like it. Go on, open the other one.''

Rose set the gift upon the table gently before reaching for the other present. It was rectangular in shape, and straight and flat. She turned it over in her hands for a few moments before selecting a corner, and began to tear away the wrapping. The Doctor chewed the tip of his finger nervously as he waited for her reaction to the gift.

Rose finally freed the gift from the paper and she gazed down at the object she held. It was a photo frame; large and jet black, with a pattern of golden swirls, meteors and stars across the thick frame. Within the frame was a photo of the Doctor and herself; one that her mother had taken just after the Christmas invasion, as they all stood and watched the ash fall from the sky. They were stood together, hand in hand with Rose leaning cosily against his arm as he pointed up into the sky, a large grin evident on his new face. Rose didn't recall her mother taking a picture of them that night, nor did she have any idea of how the Doctor had obtained the photo, but right now she didn't care. She simply smiled at the photo of them; happy, carefree and full of excitement for the adventures they were about to embark on.

The Doctor watched her reaction and released a sigh of relief as she smiled, tracing the picture lightly with the tips of her fingers. She turned her attention towards him and he felt his chest tighten slightly as he took in her smile, the glow of her cheeks, and the adoring and happy gaze in her eyes.

''Doctor...I didn't even know this had been taken...how did you get hold of this?''

He tapped the side of his nose and smirked. ''Ahh, a magician never reveals his secrets!''

She laughed and set the frame upon the table next to the glass globe, gazing at them happily.

''We can go and visit your mum and Mickey later if you like.''

Rose looked up and nodded.

''I'd really like that, thank you''.

She rose from her chair to meet him in an embrace, resting her head upon his strong chest. He squeezed her gently before looking down at her, with his famous hyper grin baring his teeth to her.

''Not until later though, my dear Rose, because I have another surprise for you!''

''Really?'' Rose looked around the room expectedly.

He chuckled before nuzzling his nose gently against her hair. ''Not here, we have to travel through the Vortex to see it!''

''See it?''

The Doctor pulled her forward until he was back in his chair with Rose upon his lap. His right arm placed behind her on the arm of the chair behind her while the other rested comfortably on her leg.

''Rose, have I ever told you about the Love Stones?''

She shook her head, and settled back against his shoulder in preparation for one of his long stories.

''Well, all over the universe there are billions of rocks and stars falling, some only for a short while, some for billions of years. They fall in formation, be it because of an ancient substance that has caused them do this since the dawn of time, or because a planet or star has lost the ability to live on. Anyway, there is one particular storm, or shower if you will, of rocks called the Love Stones.''

He glanced down to make sure Rose was listening, and found her gazing back at him, completely enthralled by his story. He scratched his ear for a moment before continuing.

''The Love Stones are rocks which fall in a location in the far reaches of space, and they descend in a giant and powerful storm, but this only happens once every 5000 years. Nobody sure why it happens, or where they come from, these stones are just one of the many mysteries within the universe. It's such a beautiful sight Rose, millions of colours and lights shine from those stones, and the soft sound they make as they fly by is definitely a wonder...''

''So, why are they called Love Stones?''

''Well, despite the fact that nobody knows much about them, there is a legend. A legend of a great sorceress who travelled through space so very long ago, a sorceress who possessed such tremendous amounts of power that she was both feared and loved across the universe. Of course, behind every great woman, there is a great man, and she was in love with a very great man. However, he was not powerful or feared and loved across planets and stars, he was but a simple being from a planet that has long since faded into dust.''

Rose nodded encouragingly, urging him to carry on. The Doctor cleared his throat loudly and ignored the soft nudge in the back of his mind that was the TARDIS, telling him to get over the sound of his own voice and carry on.

''Ohh but did she love him, she loved him with more than her entire soul. She spent half her life braving dangers and terrors in order to just be with him, and she believed that he loved her back, and I think for some amount of time, he did. Alas, it wasn't meant to be and the poor sorceress felt into misery and despair on the day that she returned to his planet to see him, and he had left her for another woman, a woman as simple and powerless as he. Needless to say, the sorceress was completely heartbroken and changed from a beautiful and delicate being, into a creature full of hatred and contentment for every species and planet she came into contact with.''

Rose frowned. ''Well of course, any woman would be completely angry if that happened to her. That man sounds like a right pig!''

The Doctor chuckled and patted her leg affectionately.

''As you so bluntly put it, yes he was and this caused the sorceress nothing but sorrow for many many years after. She had loved him, purely and unconditionally and he had simply dismissed her, leaving her with an empty hole inside of herself. She travelled far and wide, bringing destruction and misery to whomever she pleased, but it never made her feel any better. During her travels, her eyes saw many things, but one thing that she seemed to find in every place she went to, was the broken-hearted. She watched as relationships between man and woman fell apart, due to betrayal and lies, and she made a vow, to herself and to the sufferers in the universe who had believed they had also found true love.''

He paused for a moment and Rose peered at him intently, her eyes wide with anticipation.

''What did she do, Doctor?''

''Somehow, and nobody knows how, she created a shower of rocks. Rocks in many different shapes and sizes, and of every colour imaginable, rocks that would sing gentle music as they flew by. She placed this rare display so very far in the universe, that only the people that wanted to find their true love would make it there. She set upon this phenomenon a magical spell that would act as a time limit, making it more difficult for people to discover who their true love was.''

Rose frowned slightly.

''That's a bit cruel isn't it? Surely more people would suffer broken hearts because she made it so difficult for them to seek guidance from the Love Stones.''

The Doctor gave her an understanding smile. ''Exactly. Some people say that she wanted others to suffer like she said, others just simply believe she had a very twisted way of trying to bring happiness to others.''

''You got that right! So, how do these Love Stones show people their true love?''

''Well, when two people find the shower, they simply both reach out and select a stone each. Then, they present their stone to one another, and if the stone retains its colour and keeps singing the song it sung when it was captured, then you know you have found your true love. If the colour fades, and the song dies, you know that you are not in the presence of true love. Of course, true love is not always reciprocated, so it can be quite the disastrous event!''

The pair of them chuckled lightly despite the sadness the story held. Rose shifted so she was facing the Doctor properly. He grinned at her and patted her leg enthusiastically.

''So, what do you think? Fancy a trip to the deep depths of the universe to see the Love Stones?''

The TARDIS hummed and whirred in excitement at the opportunity of such an adventure and Rose could do nothing but grin back at the Doctor and nod.

''You betcha!''

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_Aww ain't the Doctor sweet? hope you enjoyed it, please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Whoa it's been a while since I updated! Been busy with college work and the likes so it's taken me a while to finish this chapter, I hope you enjoy it though! please review!_

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''Will you just cut the damn thing?! I'm hungry!''

Rose glared at the Doctor before returning her gaze to the knife she held above her cake.

''It just looks so pretty, and you went to all this effort. I almost feel bad for wanting to eat it.''

The Doctor blinked in confusion before looking at the cake. He had to admit, it was quite the work of art, if you ignored the messy scrawl of green words upon the top. It was quite a simple design; just layers of smooth, rich chocolate with a mess of chocolate and vanilla shavings upon the top. He chuckled as Rose angled the knife above the cake once again, a look of concentration on her face.

''C'mon Rose, this won't be the last time we make cakes so you might as well just dig in.''

''Alright! I'm just deciding which piece I want.''

The Doctor opened his mouth to ask what difference it made which part of the cake she decided to eat first, but seeing the look on her face and the knife in her hand, he closed his mouth abruptly. Finally, Rose pressed the knife into the cake and drew away two slices. She placed them onto two little plates that sat beside her gifts and handed one to the Doctor.

''At last! Thought I'd never get to try my tasty work!''

There was a soft tremor beneath the feet followed by a low hum and the Doctor glared around.

''Yes alright alright! Well if you could actually eat it I would give you some too!

Rose giggled as he leapt up from the console, rubbing his back where a spark had hit him.

''Oi! None of that, you grumpy grouch!''

Mumbling to himself, the Doctor leant back against the controls and sank his teeth into the slice of cake. His eyes widened in bliss and he groaned appreciatively. Rose blushed at the noise and turned her attention to her plate.

''Oh sweet Rassilon!'' The Doctor groaned, smacking his lips. ''Rose you really need to try this, it's brilliant!

Rose ducked her head slightly to hide the increasing heat that was rising into her face. The sweet scent of the cake invaded her nose, warm and inviting. Brushing her hair away from her face, she raised the slice to her mouth and took a bite. Her mouth was instantly swamped with a rich and moist texture, and an unmistakable flavour of wonderful chocolate. Rose chewed slowly, savouring every trickle of the sweet flavour that oozed inside her mouth, and groaned happily.

''See? I told you it was brilliant!''

Rose turned to meet the gleeful gaze of the Doctor.

''Well then, never let me doubt your amazing abilities ever again!''

''You never should anyway!'' The Doctor chuckled, chasing cake crumbs around his lips with his tongue.

Rose finished her slice and set the plate back down upon the table before turning back to the Doctor, smiling excitedly.

''So these love stones, when are we gonna get to see them?''

The Doctor set his own plate down before crossing his arms and looking thoughtful.

''Well, it's a simple enough journey, if you don't mind a bit of turbulence along the way''.

Rose laughed. ''No surprise there, what with your driving!''

''Oi!'' The Doctor gave her a mock glare before turning serious again. ''No it's a lot more than the occasional jerk and us falling all over the place. For some reason, the journey to this place through the vortex can be quite rough, quite dangerous really''.

Rose frowned. ''Why?''

The Doctor scratched his left ear and shrugged. ''Who knows, probably created by the sorceress to make the journey more difficult for all the lovers trying to reach the stones''.

Rose continued to frown for a moment before shifting in her chair, causing the Doctor to look at her directly.

''But...we're not lovers''.

The Doctor gave her a bemused look. ''No...which will probably make it a lot more harder for us, considering if it's that difficult for people who are actually heading there in the name of love, think of what it will be like for us''.

''Maybe we shouldn't go if it's that dangerous''.

A grin spread across both of their faces, both knowing that a bit of danger had never stopped them before. The Doctor sprang forward from the console and clapped his hands together.

''Right then! You better go and get dressed, can't have you running around in your pyjamas all day, and I'll set this old girl off, in leisurely cruise mode!''

Rose, who had already begun to head off to her bedroom, presents gathered in her arms, turned to face him in confusion.

''The TARDIS has a leisurely cruise mode?!''

''Well, no, the ride just won't be as rough as normal because we're just going to...well for lack of a better word, cruise through the vortex as easily as we can, without me having to run around flipping switches and pushing buttons...I mean it's not as though the old girl actually has different modes for travel built into-''.

''Doctor, I get it''.

''Oh, right, sorry'''. The Doctor grinned manically at her before waving his hands at her. ''Allonsy Rose Tyler!''

Rose grinned before running off in the direction of her bedroom, her face bright with happiness.

Thoughts of how wonderful and lovely the Doctor was coursed through her mind as she almost skipped down the corridor towards her room, her presents clutched tightly to her chest. The cheerful hum of the TARDIS escorted her along the corridors until she entered her room, where she carefully set her presents on her pink duvet before racing to her bulging wardrobe, courtesy of the TARDIS. Rose grinned again, studying the selection of outfits.

''Thanks old girl'', She whispered fondly, to which the TARDIS responded with a light happy hum.

* * *

The Doctor flopped back into the captain's chair, sighing restlessly. It had been half an hour since Rose had disappeared to get dressed, and in that time he had packed away the table and chairs into a cupboard down the corridor, which the TARDIS had generously provided, he had tinkered and played with the inner workings of the console and had then paced around it a fair few times before imputing the coordinates for their destination. With still no sign of Rose, he decided to settle in the chair, but within minutes, he had found himself fidgeting endlessly.

He sighed impatiently. ''Rose! C'mon! I know it's your birthday but it's a long journey to the love stones and I'm bored!''

''When are you ever not bored?''

The Doctor almost toppled out of the chair at the sound of her voice, which caused Rose to giggle in amusement. He jumped to his feet and turned to give her a demonstration of his best playful glare, but as his eyes landed on her, his hearts skipped a beat. Rose stood several feet away from him, leaning comfortably on the rail, a smile bright on her face, and she looked absolutely stunning.

A pair of tight black jeans covered her bottom half, framing her legs and the lower part of her hips so perfectly that he could barely move his gaze any higher to take in the rest of her outfit. The top was a simple black t-shirt, except for the cut in the centre of it that dipped precariously low, leaving not much for the imagination. The Doctor shook his head quickly before raising his gaze to her face and cocked his head to one side in slight confusion; something was different. Her lips were painted with a lovely light pink that reminded him of a delicate flower petal, her skin was warm and glowing and her eyes...that was it! Her eyes! Instead of the thick black eyeliner and mascara that usually dominated her features, she had adopted a light brown colour which created a warm look to her face, drawing out the deepness of her eyes. Her eyelashes curled upwards gently, accompanied by a gentle peachy eye shadow, her hair was down and lightly curled, a slight fringe dipping gently in a slant across her forehead; all in all, the Doctor was completely astounded.

''What are you staring at? Do I have something on me?''

At her words, Rose had spun on the spot to look over her outfit, giving the Doctor a complete view of her behind. He averted his gaze quickly, scratching his head nervously.

''No no! You just...look nice that's all''.

Rose faced him; a slight look of shock covered her face. ''Really? You think I look nice?''

The Doctor blinked, running his tongue across the roof of his mouth in an attempt to pick the least dangerous words to answer her question. ''Yes, I do. Why are you so surprised?''

A pleased smile danced across Rose's face. ''Just you don't usually say stuff like that unless I ask you if I look alright, it's just nice to be paid a compliment without having to prompt you''.

The Doctor opened his mouth to argue, but he spotted the grin that had appeared on Rose's face; the familiar cheeky grin that she adorned whenever she was toying with him.

''Well then, guess I'll have to say nice things more often!''

With that, in a desperate attempt to distract himself from staring at his companion, he darted towards the console and studied the screen that stood out from the selection of levers and buttons. Rose walked over and peered at the screen over his shoulder, frowning as she tried to understand the jumble of strange symbols and pictures.

''What does it say?''

''That we're ready to get going! I set the coordinates while you were getting ready so the old girl had time to gear herself up for the journey, as she is the one who is in charge of giving us the smoothest ride possible!''

The Doctor slapped the console enthusiastically, to which the TARDIS responded with a tremor and a series of sparks from the controls. The Doctor glared around the room as Rose giggled behind him.

''Oi! I was paying you a compliment! Don't be so touchy!''

The lights dipped in response followed by a deep rumble beneath their feet.

''I think you upset her, better be careful Doctor or she might change her mind about giving us a gentle ride to the love stones, and considering it's going to be a long journey, do you really want her to be mad at you?''

The Doctor started at Rose incredulously who just smiled innocently back at him.

''But I didn't do anything! I only...oh fine!''

He mumbled a disgruntled apology, only to receive a spark to the cheek.

''Okay fine! I'm sorry old girl, I didn't mean any offence. Now will you please forgive me and give us a nice journey?'' He rubbed his cheek indignantly, but grinned as the lights surged brightly for a moment and suddenly they were tossed to the ground as the TARDIS kicked into action.

Rose reached up to clutch hold of the captain's chair while the Doctor simply remained on the floor, tapping the sides of his shoes together.

''I wouldn't bother trying to get up if I was you, at least not for ten minutes''.

Before Rose could ask for an explanation, the TARDIS gave another almighty shake and she was tossed onto the grating beside the Doctor, who grinned at her before resting his arms behind his head.

''She needs to stabilize herself in the vortex, considering we asked for a long and smooth journey, you can't expect it to be _completely _shudder-free, and besides, it's a four day journey so-''

''Four days?!'' Rose cried, staring at him in disbelief as she clutched hold of the grating beneath her in an attempt to remain still. ''This is a time machine! I thought stuff like that didn't matter!''

The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at her. ''I did tell you about the sorceress didn't I? Magic and a machine that can disrupt and travel through time aren't a good mix, trust me I know. There was one time; I was travelling to this ancient planet called Sackaborow, beautiful planet, full of wonderful plants and crazy magicians who perform all these fantastic spells. Anyway as I pulled closer to the planet I-mmph! ''

The Doctor stared at Rose who had slapped a hand across his mouth and was staring at him angrily.

''Stop your rambling and explain something to me; are you saying that we're going to be in here for four whole days, without stepping outside, because the magic that this sorceress put around the love stones doesn't agree with the TARDIS?''

The Doctor removed her hand and grinned sheepishly at her. ''Well...yes, but it'll be worth it once we get there! You'll see, you'll love it, I promise''.

Rose studied him for a second before letting out a sigh.

''I suppose there are worse things than being stuck on the TARDIS for four days, at least there's a lot of stuff to do...I still haven't seen that garden yet!''

The Doctor chuckled and pulled her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders tightly as the TARDIS lurched again. ''Well I'm sure we'll find sometime over the four days we're in here, let's just hope we don't run out of air!''

''What?!''.

''I'm kidding I'm kidding!''

* * *

An hour later, the TARDIS was drifting gently through the vortex, and a sense of undisturbed calm drifted through the inner corridors.

Unless you counted the loud music that blared from the console.

''_Oh what fun we had, but at the time it seemed so bad, trying different ways, to make a difference to the daaaays!!''_

Rose shrieked with laughter as The Doctor spun her around before dancing around the controls to Madness, his face alight with glee.

''I never had you down for a Madness fan!''

''Oh you'd be surprised! I saw them live once, absolutely fantastic band! Skanked with Suggs himself!''

Rose laughed loudly as she danced around with him, kicking her legs out in time with his and singing loudly to the words, all the while enjoying the giant grin that was plastered on his face, his eyes bright with merriment.

''I'll take you to see them sometime, you haven't seen anything like this lot live!''

The Doctor skanked away from her, only to come flying backwards as the TARDIS gave a massive shudder. Rose yelped with surprise as the grating trembled beneath her feet, she glanced up at the Doctor who was staring at the console screen with wide eyes.

''Doctor!'' She cried over the loud music.

''I don't know what's happening, it doesn't say that anything's wrong!''

He growled with frustration and slapped the screen a few times, somehow ignoring the blaring trumpets and guitars that still echoed around them.

''Doctor what should we-whoa!''

Rose groaned with pain as she was thrown against the console as the room shook and tilted sideways for a second, the Doctor scrabbled over to her side.

''I don't know what's happening! She won't tell me what's wrong, so I don't know how to fix it!''.

''Maybe you should at least turn the bloody music off first!''

''Oh right, music, of course!''

The Doctor hurtled around the console just as the TARDIS once again lurched and tilted, but this time with a lot more force, and Rose flew onto the grating, her head colliding painfully with the grating. Above the music, she could make out the faint sound of an alarm blaring over the music, and the Doctor calling her name worriedly.

''Rose! Are you okay?! Rose!''

She cracked open an eye; the console shifted in and out of focus as pain seared through her skull. The Doctor began to move towards her, and the TARDIS jolted and twisted fiercely once again and he was tossed against the console before he dropped to the ground, completely still.

Rose groaned weakly and raised her hand in a desperate attempt to reach him.

''Doctor...''

Everything went black...

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed! I got the idea for the whole Rose and the Doctor dancing thing from seeing David Tennant dancing to Madness on Jools Holland Hootenanny 2008, and it just made me laugh so I thought I would work with it! Anyway, please review!!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Well I couldn't wait to upload more so this is just kind of...the filler chapter if you will, kicks off the real point of the story, so it's a bit short but it should hopefully satisfy!_

_In this chapter, italics are the music, bold italics are Rose's thoughts. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer; I own nothing, not the Madness lyrics nor the Doctor and Rose, as much as I wish I did!_

* * *

'_Our house, in the middle of our street, our house, that was where we used to sleep...'_

Music trickled through the empty corridors of the TARDIS, only accompanied by the occasional flicker of the weakening lights. The shrill screech of the alarm had now ceased, but was replaced by a flashing red light upon the console.

Rose lay in a crumpled heap upon the metal grating, her hair covering her face like a yellow curtain. As the music carried on playing, she twitched and stirred slightly, thoughts dancing through her aching head.

_**Hmm...That's weird...the Doctor doesn't have a house...and he doesn't own a saxophone either...**_

Rose groaned softly, her face screwed up in pain.

'_Our house, in the middle of our street...'_

_**Our house? We don't have a house...**_

Rose opened her eyes softly, flinching as a burning pain shot through her skull. Her vision swam furiously; a mix of a blinking light and the glow of the TARDIS console. The music reverberated around her, suddenly alerting her to the unusual quietness beneath the jumble of brass and guitar.

''Doctor?''

She sat up slowly, a hand holding her throbbing head. Her eyes adjusted and surveyed the sight in front of her, and her heart jumped. Pieces of wire hung like colourful spaghetti from the console, which glimmered dimly, as though drained of energy. Rose trailed a hand along the grating in an attempt to feel the gentle humming that usually emanated from below, only to receive a weak grumble.

''Oh, you've worn yourself out haven't you old girl? What happened?''

As soon as the words left her mouth, a vision of the Doctor dancing around entered her mind, followed by the sight of the TARDIS lurching violently and causing her to fall on the floor, and then the Doctor crashing to the floor, and not jumping straight back up again.

''Oh god, Doctor! Doctor?!''

Rose scrambled to her feet, leaning against the rail for support as a wave of dizziness swept over her, causing her stomach to churn unpleasantly. The lights blinked again, and with an almighty surge, the console sprang to life again, with a slight spark and flicker, and somehow, the music stopped, much to Rose's relief. She patted the rail sympathetically.

''Atta girl''.

Rose glanced frantically around until finally she spotted the Doctor, lying several feet away from her in a heap, almost completely underneath the console.

''Doctor!'' Rose cried.

She dashed over to him and gently rolled him onto his back, fighting back the tears of fear that had leapt into her eyes.

He was as pale as a ghost; a sheen of sweat covered his forehead and a trickle of dry blood oozed from underneath his hair. Rose held her breath as she placed both of her hands on his chest, and gave a sigh of relief as she felt the steady beat of his hearts; he was alive.

''Doctor...Doctor, wake up. Doctor, please, you need to wake up,'' Rose pleaded as she gently shook his unconscious form.

He didn't move, nor open his eyes and laugh hysterically as though it had all been a massive joke like she had hoped he would. He simply remained still, seemingly lifeless except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed slowly.

Rose looked around desperately for some kind of help; anything that would wake him up but her eyes only met the sorry state of the console. She reached up and grasped several of the wires that dangled beside her, carefully in order to avoid receiving a shock from the exposed ends, in a vain attempt to find some kind of assistance.

''What do I do?'' She implored the TARDIS, who could only offer a soft hum in response.

Rose sighed in frustration, twiddling the wires carelessly in her hand. She yelped as a slight shock bit at her fingers, before sitting back on her knees, completely lost. She glanced at the Doctor, then at the wires between her fingers, then back to the Doctor again. She took a deep breath and pulled the wires until they hovered over the Doctor's left hand; she closed her eyes and pressed the frazzled ends against his skin.

''YEEEEEOWWWWCH!!'' The Doctor shot up onto his feet, flapping his hand about in an attempt to rid himself of the pain, but only succeeded in tumbling backwards over the collapsed captain's chair, leaving his feet sticking up in the air. Rose gave a relieved giggle before rushing over to him, leaning over to see his face.

''Thought that might wake you up!''

The Doctor blinked up at her. ''I don't recall choosing to sleep down here, why would I, it's a mighty bit uncomfortable if you ask me''.

Rose frowned. ''Doctor, don't you remember? The TARDIS completely lost control and we were both knocked out, you were trying to turn off the music because you needed to find out what was going wrong...''

She stopped as he only continued to stare at her blankly.

''Why do you keep calling me Doctor?''

Rose glared at him. ''This isn't the time for joking around Doctor, something happened to the TARDIS and I think she might need some repairing, and you're the only one who can do that''.

The Doctor frowned at her. ''I'm not joking! I was asking a simple question; why do you keep calling me that? And what in the name of Rassilon is a TARDIS?''

At his words, the TARDIS hummed and vibrated loudly; she was angry.

Rose felt her throat constrict painfully; this had to be a joke, it just had to be.

''This isn't funny Doctor! You're really starting to scare me!''

He sat up awkwardly, balancing himself on the palms of his hands.

''I'm not trying to be funny! Why do you keep calling me that?''

Rose simply gaped at him, completely lost for words. He stared back at her; his head cocked to one side questioningly.

Rose swallowed hard. ''Well...'cos that's your name, that's why''.

His eyebrows almost disappeared underneath his hair, which had somehow flopped forward onto his forehead.

''Really? Huh...what a weird name to have...couldn't I have something better?''

Before Rose could reply, he leapt to his feet and glanced around the room curiously.

''Where are we anyway? Some kind of spaceship?''

Rose couldn't speak. Words failed her as the Doctor peered around enquiringly; plucking at the loose wires and poking the flashing red light. What the hell was going on?

''Not much of a spaceship really...it's all in tatters! You really need to take care of it...erm...''

Rose looked up at him expectantly. At least he was still being rude, like usual.

He gazed down at her, an apologetic frown on his face.

''I'm sorry, I don't believe I know your name''.

* * *

_Uh oh! Poor Rose! Please review!!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Well this will be my last update for a few days seeing as I am off camping! But I will definately update as soon as possible after I get back! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review more, it gives me more confidence and lets me know if people are actually enjoying the story!_

* * *

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening, it wasn't possible. Rose stared at the Doctor, her mouth slightly wide and tears of frustration glistening in her eyes. He looked right back at her; his eyes vague and expression blank as he studied her face, as though trying to find something to recognize. Could it really be? Had he...forgotten her?

''Doctor...it's me''.

He waved his hand impatiently. ''Well, obviously it's you, cos you are...well you. But I don't know who you are...or where I am for that matter...''

He stopped to stare around the room once again; taking in the giant selection of levers, buttons and the gently glowing column that sat in the base of the large console. The wires still hung limply from the small holes that littered the base of it; the captain's chair remained in the upside down position it had been in when they had awoken, and the quiet purr that had been vibrating around them several moments ago had turned into an irked growl. He turned his gaze back to Rose, who was still sat on the floor, still staring up at him in disbelief.

''Where are we?''

Rose didn't reply right away. Instead she pulled herself up into a standing position, and struggled to keep her legs from buckling as she fought the wave of nausea that had suddenly crept over her. This really couldn't be happening; he was supposed to have a brain the size of a small universe, apparently, so how could he have forgotten anything, especially her?

''Doctor...this is your ship, this is the TARDIS, remember? You stole her a very long time ago, and you've travelled all over the place with her, through time and space. You always walk around, stroking the console and talking to her, she's...well your friend really''.

''My ship, you say?'' The Doctor leant against the console and inspected it closely; taking in all the different functions with great fascination, as though he had never seen anything like it. ''Hmm...I would have thought I would have known if I owned a ship like this...did you say time and space??''

He spun around to face her; his face alight with curiosity. Rose however, couldn't help the rage and frustration that was building up inside of her, and glared back at him.

''How can you not know?! This is your ship! You've travelled with her for so long, you're a Time Lord, of course it's going to be a time machine!''

The Doctor took a step back, his hands raised in defence. ''Whoa! Calm down, I was merely stating...wait what's a Time Lord?''

Rose gripped her hair in frustration and bit back the scream that threatened to burst from her mouth.

''You! You're a Time Lord; the very last one in fact! How can you not know what you are?!''

The Doctor, who had been scratching his right ear thoughtfully, suddenly fixed her with another pointed stare.

''I'm sorry, who are you?''

Rose stamped her feet in irritation. ''It's me, Rose! You're the Doctor; Time Lord who travels in the TARDIS through different parts of time and space, and I travel with you! We're always getting into trouble and having to run for our lives, and sometimes hop too! How can you not remember?!''

The Doctor cocked his head to one side again; his brown eyes full of questions but his face was soft. ''Rose? That's a...nice name''.

Any other time, Rose would have been grinning from ear to ear at the sound of a compliment from him, but not now.

''Doctor...we're best friends, we have been for ages, how can you not who I am, or not know who you are?''

She stepped closer to him; a hand barely reaching out to touch him. He looked down at her and she was almost shocked to see the slight hint of sadness reflected in his molten chocolate eyes.

''I'm sorry...I wish I did but...I feel like I've just been placed in this strange place without a map really, I'm quite lost...which seems to be upsetting you quite a bit, I'm sorry! Please don't cry!''

He spoke the last few words loudly and with panic as he saw several tears escape from her eyes, her face full of anguish.

''You...don't remember anything? Nothing at all?''

He shook his head in dismay, fighting the strange urge that had told him to embrace her. She choked on a few light sobs before wiping the tears away furiously.

''This is your fault! It was your stupid idea to go visit the love stones, you said it would be a wonderful birthday surprise for me, but you said it was dangerous too! You knew it would be a bad journey, and yet you still decided to go! It's your fault this has happened, you big stupid...alien!''

Before he could respond, Rose turned and fled to her room, her cries echoing down the corridors, followed by the concerned hum of the TARDIS that seemed to trail after her, leaving a very confused and slightly frightened Doctor.

Rose kicked off her shoes and slammed her bedroom door shut before she flung herself onto her bed, where she seized her pillow and buried her face into it, muffling the sobs that wracked her body. She knew that it wasn't his fault, not really, she had wanted to go, but she couldn't help but be angry at him. He had forgotten her, along with everything else but...he didn't remember her! He always said that forever wasn't possible for them, but she hadn't known that he meant something like this! He had left her; not like he had left his other companions, when there was actually a choice, he had literally left her behind with just someone who looked like him.

Her Doctor was gone; and she was on her own. As she shuffled to get comfortable, her foot came into contact with something hard. Sitting up, she spotted the picture frame at the end of her bed, about to fall off onto the floor. She reached over and picked it up, her thumb gently tracing the pattern around the frame as she studied the picture. They looked so happy; so full of life and bursting with excitement as they stood side by side, thick as thieves as they decided on another of their many adventures together. Rose and her Doctor; the Doctor and his Rose, just how it should be.

Not anymore, Rose thought as the tears continued to cascade down her cheeks. She tossed the picture to one side and buried herself in her bed, yanking the covers over her head as she dissolved into an inconsolable mess. Nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

Sometime later, possibly hours, there was a tentative knock upon Rose's bedroom door. When he didn't receive a response, the Doctor slowly opened the door, wincing as it creaked loudly. He gazed around the room, smiling as he took in the soft purple walls and the light blue furniture that seemed to match in a ridiculous fashion. Objects littered the place; make up lay strewn across her dresser, several teddy bears lolled against the foot of the wardrobe, which sat open to reveal a large selection of clothes, strange and foreign objects that he couldn't identify covered nearly every corner of her room; definitely a room belonging to a female. The TARDIS hummed impatiently around him, and he frowned.

''Yes alright! I know! I would if I knew where she was! I wish you would tell me how you're doing this!''

He was met with an indignant rumble, before something nudged his mind and he turned to face the bright pink bed, where he spotted a lump underneath the covers. He took a deep breath and crept towards the bed, where he could see the top of her blonde head poking out from a gap in the covers. He swallowed nervously, suddenly aware of how loud he was breathing.

''Rose? Are you awake?''

He ran his hands nervously through his hair when he didn't receive an answer; he had no idea what to do with a sleeping girl, that's if she was sleeping and not simply ignoring him. What if she was an alien, like she had suggested he was? Did that mean she had some kind of creepy power; some kind of force that would devour him whole if he went anywhere near her? A gentle snore rose from somewhere under the covers, which clarified that she was definitely asleep

At this point, Rose decided to stir and turn in her sleep, causing the Doctor to jump in panic. ''Sweet mother of-'' He clapped a hand over his mouth to stop his outburst for fear of waking her as she faced him; her face almost fully obscured by the duvet with only her closed, yet red-rimmed eyes and a ruffled head of hair visible. The Doctor dropped his hand as he gazed at her, unsure of what to do other than look at her, and try to ignore the wave of guilt that shot over him at the thought of her tears. The TARDIS sung around him once more and he found himself gently lowering himself onto the vacant side of the bed, completely bemused as to how he had made the decision to do so.

''Rose?''

He leant across slightly to give himself a better chance of being heard, even though he was talking in nothing but a low whisper. As he did so, the cover slid beneath him and revealed the rest of Rose's face; her delicate nose which twitched slightly as though it needed to be relieved of an itch, her full lips which were slightly parted as she inhaled and exhaled evenly, and her cheeks that seemed to glow slightly in the dim lighting that came from her bedside lamp. The Doctor froze for a second as he looked at her carefully; she was beautiful, that he knew for sure. She knew him it seemed, best friends she had said, knew him so well that it had hurt her badly when he had not recognized her, which could only mean that she was being truthful in everything that she was saying...so why couldn't he remember her?

''Doctor?''

He snapped out of his thoughts to find Rose peering at him sleepily. He smiled kindly at her.

''Hello''.

She stared cautiously at him, trying to suppress the yawn that threatened to take over her. He flopped back against the pillows, ignoring the fact that he probably wasn't in the greatest position with Rose to be lying on her bed.

''I've...well me and the TARDIS have been...well I mean...she's been talking to me Rose, inside my head!''

Rose fixed him with a blank stare before slapping her hand against her head. Of course! The TARDIS and the Doctor had that weird telepathic connection; he was always talking to her! All the hums and whistles and murmurs that ever echoed around the ship; Rose could understand the basic meaning of them, but the Doctor and the TARDIS had their own special connection, and it seemed that they still did.

''Oh, I forgot about that! Yeah, you two are always talking''.

The Doctor appeared to be in shock at her words, as though he had expected her to find this kind of thing strange. She gave him a tiny smile.

''Trust me Doctor, I've seen and heard stranger things''.

He scratched his ear thoughtfully; Rose was thankful that he had forgotten all of his little quirks. She shifted into a sitting position and leant next to him, as close as she felt comfortable with, which wasn't very at the moment.

''Well anyway, yeah she's been...talking to me in my mind, and she informed me of my basic history...about...well me being a Time Lord and my home planet, how I can regenerate, about several of my past companions and some of the adventures I've been on...''

Rose nodded; eager for him to carry on, thankful that the TARDIS hadn't given up on him.

''She told me as much as she could, but I think her memory might have been damaged during that weird little vortex turbulence earlier, because that was all she could really tell me''.

''Oh...'' Rose felt her heart sink into her stomach as her hope that he would remember her was taken away. The Doctor realized this and suddenly reached out, taking her chin gently between his thumb and forefinger, and tilting her head to face him. Judging by the look on her face, she was just as surprised by his action as he was.

''She did tell me about you, but she only said that you were my most faithful companion of them all, and that we have had lots of great adventures together, but she thinks that it's up to me and you to help me remember...because well...I don't know why, she wouldn't say. She seems like quite a stubborn ship, she wouldn't let me go grab a banana before I came to look for you''.

The TARDIS hummed at this, and Rose couldn't contain a giggle, to which a grin broke out upon the Doctor's face, the same silly manic grin that he always wore, so familiar that Rose could almost pretend everything was okay.

''It's just so weird...I'm always the one who needs you and now...you need me and it's just...something I never thought would happen''.

The Doctor frowned at this, and moved his hand away from her face to take hold of hers.

''Well,'' He rolled the word on his tongue thoughtfully, ''I must have always needed you too, otherwise I don't think I would have kept you around for so long, right?''

Rose pondered on this for a moment. Could he be right? Could it be true that the Doctor needed her just as much as she needed him? But he was always the one rescuing her, along with many others, not the other way around. Her head begun to hurt as the thoughts buzzed around inside her mind like a never-ending whirlwind; as she rubbed her head in frustration she noticed the Doctor was no longer holding her hand, but clutching the picture frame he had given her for her birthday.

His expression was serious, yet soft as he studied the picture. There they were; both glowing with the thrill of their oncoming adventures, stood close together as though nothing could separate them, gazing up as snow fell onto their faces...

Snow...

A vision suddenly burst into his mind; a jumble of faces and people that he recognized but couldn't name, loud noises and a warm bed, screaming in pain as a woman who resembled Rose offered him a bunch of medicine he could never fully list himself, parading around in a pair of pyjamas, engaging in a swordfight with some ugly beast, something about not being ginger, engaging in a Christmas dinner with a party hat upon his head...and the snow, standing outside with Rose...

''Doctor, are you alright?''

The Doctor started and shook his head slightly, before grabbing hold of her in his free hand, before gesturing to the picture with his head.

''That isn't snow, is it? In that picture, it's ash from a blown up spaceship, right?!''

Rose gaped at him for a moment, before a beaming smile broke out upon her face.

''You remember?''

The Doctor's grip on her tightened slightly. ''Well, not completely, but I remember some parts...like Christmas dinner, with you and me wearing those party hats...and a swordfight...and a woman who looks like you...''

Rose chuckled, despite her sorrow that he still didn't fully remember. ''I would never expect you to forget my mother''.

The Doctor grinned back at her before placing the picture back on the bed so he could grip hold of her with both hands. They both sat upon their knees now; facing each other with matching expressions of confusion and anticipation.

''Rose...I know it's your birthday today, and I really am so sorry, I am so sorry that this has happened today, but it's a four day journey to these...''

''Love stones''.

''Love stones! Thank you! Anyway, it's a four day journey so I'm told, and maybe in that time, we can try and fix my memory...if you'll help me''.

The Doctor fixed her with a pleading gaze, so sincere and so full of the desire to remember that Rose could do nothing but smile and reach for his hand, wrapping her fingers tightly around his.

''Of course I'll help you''.

He grinned brightly. ''Great! So...where do we start?''

* * *

_Aww bless 'em hehe. Review please!!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Just a little note to say thank you to all the people who have added me to their story alerts and favourite author lists! Really means alot to me, but hopefully some of those people can leave reviews too so I know what you think of the story! and thank you to the people who have already reviewed! _

_Hope you enjoy this next chapter, it was never intended to be part of the story but the idea popped into my head and I couldn't resist!_

_Disclaimer; none of the mentioned movies, songs or characters in this chapter and/or folllowing chapters belong to me._

_enjoy!_

* * *

''So...they live in the same city, they talk to each other on the...the...erm...''

''Internet''.

''Internet! And they've met each other in person, but they don't know that they're talking to the person that they've been talking to online?''

''Yep, that's pretty much it''.

''That's...such a brilliant idea!''

Rose smiled as the Doctor shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth; gazing intently at the television screen which currently displayed You've Got Mail; one of her favourite movies. After several hours of trying to restore the Doctor's memory, which had involved Rose doing impressions of their various enemies, much to the Doctor's amusement, and stories of some of their very first adventures, they had decided to take a break, mainly in an attempt to avoid an increase in the level of frustration that was being created due to the Doctor's lack of recognition.

The break had evolved into an exploration of the TARDIS; wandering down the halls and long corridors, peeking their heads into the various rooms that appeared along the way, which had led to the discovery of the 'entertainment' room. Rose had simply stood and stared around the room; amazed at how she had never noticed it before. It was complete with a large plasma television, a plush plum sofa covered with cushions and a fluffy throw, stacks and shelves full of films, a futuristic stereo system with speakers that completely towered over Rose, a large purple lava lamp in one corner, a tall light that stood next to the sofa, and a small yet beautiful wooden table that sat upon a light blue rug.

After Rose had explained to the Doctor exactly what a dvd was, an excited grin had broken out on his face and he began to study the various cases; flinging the ones that didn't appeal to him over his shoulder, and placing the ones that looked interesting in a neat pile beside him. Rose had simply watched him for several moments before assisting him in selecting a film and then heading back to the kitchen to make some popcorn.

Upon her return to the room, she had found the Doctor spread across the sofa; his converse free feet hung over the arm, his arms comfortably position behind his head and his eyes fixed intently on the blank screen. Rose had handed him the popcorn before setting the film up; and had turned around to find him balancing a piece of popcorn on the tip of his nose, with a beaming smile upon his face. He had removed himself from his earlier position to make room for her, and now the two of them sat comfortably together, their shoulders gently touching and feet upon the table in front of them with the bowl of popcorn balanced on the Doctor's lap.

''It's quite impressive isn't it?''

Rose removed her gaze from the television to look at him.

''What is?''

The Doctor swallowed the popcorn he had in his mouth. ''How she can fit all those books into that little shop on the corner!''

Rose grinned at him. This was coming from the man who owned a ship that was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. Still, she thought as she reached for another handful of popcorn, at least he's still as enthusiastic and as amazed by the little things as he usually is.

The film progressed, the amount of popcorn within the bowl grew smaller, and the two companions slid closer together on the sofa, settling in a semi embrace with the Doctor's arm behind Rose on the back of the sofa, with her shoulder pressed comfortably against his side. As the movie reached the ending; Meg Ryan blinking in amazement as Tom Hanks appeared in the park with his dog Brinkley, Rose heard a sniffle and turned her head up to look at the Doctor; only to find that his eyes were brimming with tears.

She scrabbled to an upright position. ''What's the matter?''

As the familiar music of Somewhere over the rainbow filled the room, the tears began to fall.

''It's just so...beautiful!''

He buried his face in his hands in an attempt to stop the tears; Rose only continued to stare at him for a moment before a wave of amusement passed over her.

The Doctor raised his head and fixed her with a glare as she fell onto her back, chortling loudly.

''Why are you laughing?!''

Rose gripped her sides tightly; trying to stop the ache as she continued to chuckle. ''It's just...of all the things we've seen...and all the things we've done...you don't cry at any of that, but you cry at the end of a movie!''

She went into a high pitched peal of laughter; her mouth wide open and her eyes squeezed shut from the force of it. The Doctor wiped his eyes as he watched her silently; the sound of her laughter mixing in with the music from the movie, and he smiled. She really was quite something; he didn't need to have any of his memories to know that. She hadn't dismissed him and left him upon discovering something bad had happened to him, she had simply decided to help him, for both of their sakes it seemed; as it appeared she needed him to remember as much as he needed to aswell

Yes, she certainly was something spectacular.

''I'm sorry!'' Rose gasped; breaking the Doctor from his thoughts, ''I'm sorry! It's just...well quite funny when I think about it, but very sweet too''.

She smiled warmly at him; her eyes glistening with the tears of merriment that had appeared during her fit of laughter. He grinned back her before throwing one of the last pieces of popcorn at her face; she swatted her hand half heartedly at him before sinking back into the soft cushions.

''So, what movie should we watch now?''

The Doctor leapt up excitedly from the sofa and began to rifle through the stack of films he had picked out earlier. After a few seconds he tossed a case to her; it landed on her stomach with a soft smack.

''Oi! Watch your aim mister!''

Rose picked up the case to glance at the cover; and quickly placed it face down as she was met with the hideous face of Freddy Krueger. The Doctor cocked his head to one side in confusion.

''What's the matter?''

''Nightmare on Elm Street? Are you serious? I know you've lost your memory but you don't need to have a memory to know how scary it is!''

The Doctor frowned slightly as he leant over to pick up the dvd, studying the blurb and then the cover intently.

''Hmm, quite a freaky looking fellow isn't he...''

Rose gaped at him. ''Freaky? _Freaky?! _Are we looking at the same cover here? That's Freddy Krueger for god sake; it doesn't get much worse!''

The Doctor grinned at her. ''Oh c'mon, it can't be that bad. He's obviously just suffered a number of burns to his face, poor fellow, looks quite painful''.

Rose threw a pillow at him. ''Don't feel sorry for him! He's the bad guy!''

The Doctor chuckled before holding the film out to her in a silent request for her to set it up. Rose turned her head away to stare at the lava lamp in the corner.

''I am not watching that; that man scares the hell outta me''.

''I'll protect you''.

Rose turned to face him; her face alight with an emotion the Doctor couldn't quite identify.

''What?''

The Doctor rubbed the back of his head. ''If it scares you that much, then I'll protect you. No man with a burnt face is gonna get ya while I'm here''. He avoided her gaze; suddenly finding the spotted pattern on his socks very interesting.

Rose felt a blush creeping up into her cheeks. Even now; even when he wasn't himself, he was still willing to protect her, even if it was just from a creepy villain in a movie. The rate of her heart suddenly seemed to increase as he met her gaze and smiled gently; as though he could read her thoughts. Her thoughts which were dancing around just how wonderful he was. She sighed loudly as though the decision had irritated her, but really, she was trying to calm the furious pace of her heart as his eyes gazed into hers.

''Oh, all right! You'll only complain all night if I don't agree, but you better protect me!''

He grinned. ''Of course!''

* * *

Rose opened the door, balancing the fresh bowl of popcorn on one hand as she pushed against the handle. The glow of the television was the only source of light in the now dark room, and the menu of the film sat upon the screen. Rose dropped onto the sofa and handed the bowl to the Doctor, who had stripped himself of his jacket and tie and was now just sat in his shirt and trousers. He looked slightly odd to Rose; but as he turned his head to smile at her, her thoughts simply focused on the nice display he had given her.

''Ready?''

She rolled her eyes. ''I am never ready for Freddy Krueger''.

He chuckled before popping several pieces of popcorn into his mouth.

''Like I said, I'll protect you!''

Rose smiled before pulling the fluffy throw off the back of the sofa. She turned her back slightly to the Doctor and stretched her legs to the edge of the sofa before covering herself with the blanket. As she leant back from retrieving the remote from the table, a hand tapped her shoulder gently and she turned to meet the questioning gaze of the Doctor.

''Well I can't protect you if you're all the way over there, can I!''

He chuckled and Rose smiled tentatively; unsure of what to do.

''C'mere''.

The Doctor shifted himself away slightly from the arm of the sofa before offering his hand to her. Rose slowly reached out and took it and found herself being pulled into the gap between the arm of the sofa and the Doctor, with her legs lying over his lap. The Doctor rearranged the blanket over their legs before wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her gently against his chest. Rose could only blink in shock; her heart was racing so fast that she was sure he could hear it.

''See, now no freaky man with...strange knife things on his hands can get you''.

Rose smiled against his chest as she breathed in his familiar scent. She could never pinpoint what it was exactly; a mix between something sweet and something slightly...deep was the only word she could really think of to describe it; something so mysterious that it completely fitted him. She pressed her nose against his shirt and inhaled gently, savouring it.

The Doctor buried his nose into her hair, allowing the smell of strawberries to wash over him. This position; her face in his chest and his against her hair seemed so familiar to him, as though they had done it plenty of times before. Which, he guessed, they probably had during their adventures together. The adventures he longed to remember, the places he wished he could picture in his mind, the laughter he wanted to share with Rose when they reminisced. Despite that, the way they were now, was good enough for him. He didn't fully understand this need, this want and longing he had to be near her, to be as close to her as possible, but he enjoyed the results of these needs and wants.

Oh yes, he thought as she snuggled her face against his chest as the movie began, he enjoyed them very much indeed.

* * *

_Rose's fear of Freddy Krueger is based on my own; I cannot even stand to look at the man! shivers_

_anyway, hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey guys! Thank you once again to all of the people who have added me to their alert lists and to those who are reviewing, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Keep it up, let's me know that I'm doing my job right! )_

_I loved writing this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! The italics are the voice of the TARDIS in the Doctor's head, and the bold italics are the voice of the Doctor in his own head...yeah, just so nobody gets confused!_

_enjoy!_

* * *

The eyes of the Doctor snapped open as the sounds of loud screams and evil laughter met his ears; he fixed his blurry gaze on the television to see a torrent of blood pouring from a massive hole in a bed; it appeared that Rose's favourite actor had fallen victim to the infamous Freddy Krueger.

The Doctor grimaced at the sight, he may have the name of one, but he certainly didn't have the stomach of a doctor. Still, he definitely had more courage than Rose when it came to villains in movies; Freddy Krueger didn't scare him one bit! She had buried her face into his chest and pulled the covers up her chin the second the man appeared on the screen, not that the Doctor minded, as it meant he could only hold her closer. Although, he didn't really have the time to allow himself to be scared, or to savour the closeness, as it appeared he had fallen asleep sometime into the film.

He moved to stretch; only to find his right arm was wedged between the arm of the sofa, and the back of a sleeping Rose. In the dim light that emanated from the television, he could make out her face; her eyes shut and her face peaceful. Her head was pressed firmly against his chest, with her right hand gently clutching the fabric of his shirt. The Doctor smiled as he brushed several strands of hair away from her face; and the smile grew wider as he watched her nose twitch slightly. He couldn't place it; the feeling he had welling up in his chest, but whatever it was, it was strong. Memories or not; he knew there was something special between the two of them, something he couldn't explain or even begin to understand, but it wasn't bad.

No, he mused as Rose murmured slightly and moved closer against him, it was something quite wonderful.

More screaming from the television attracted his attention, and he turned his head to see the face of Freddy Krueger dance into view. He watched for several moments before turning his gaze to Rose, and then back to the film again. A sneaky, playful smile slowly appeared on his face as an idea popped into his head.

Oh, how brilliant he was.

He stretched up and carefully lifted Rose away from his chest, holding his breath as she stirred, rubbing her eyes lazily. The Doctor slowly placed her back on the sofa, making sure to tuck the blanket securely around her. She mumbled softly before turning further into the cushions, clutching one lightly against her chest. The Doctor watched her for a moment before the grin returned to his face; he grabbed his jacket as he scuttled out of the door in the direction of the kitchen. A soft nudge inside his head alerted him to the presence of the TARDIS.

''Don't you ever sleep?!'' He questioned the machine aloud as he paced through the corridors.

'_You don't have to speak out loud you know; I can hear your mind'._

The Doctor rolled his eyes. _**'Yes I know! We had this conversation earlier! Aren't you just one clever time machine!'**_

'_Yes I am_, _I was built by the Time Lords, so it's natural for me to be clever'._

'_**Alright! Don't get too bigheaded! Although...that may not be possible seeing as you don't have a head...then again, maybe it is, I just-'**_

'_What are you up to?' _The TARDIS interrupted him as he rounded a corner and entered the kitchen.

He grinned. **'**_**I thought you could read my mind!**__'_

'_I can, but I don't always choose to invade the privacy of others, unless it's necessary'._

The Doctor stopped infront of the row of draws and cupboards that lined one side of the kitchen; trying to figure out which would be the most likely to hold the utensils.

'_Last draw on the left'._

'_**That was necessary?' **_The Doctor asked as he opened the draw, grinning as he spotted the collection of knives and forks.

'_No, but I want to know what you're up to so why would I make myself wait longer?'_

'_**Couldn't you tell from the way you just read my mind?'**_

A strange tinkling sound, which appeared to be the laughter of the TARDIS, echoed inside his head.

'_Oh Doctor, the mind has many different levels, it's more complicated and more fascinating than that. You do know this, you can read minds yourself, you've just forgotten how to'._

The Doctor stopped in his tracks, almost dropping the selection of knives he was clutching between his fingers.

'_**I can read minds?'**_

'_Yes you can, you can do many things other than just read them. But as I said, you have forgotten and it is not my place to help you remember that part of your life, so you will have to wait and see what you can do.'_

The Doctor sighed. '_**I thought you were supposed to help me!'**_

'_I am, just not in the way that would appear obvious to you. I'm helping you right now; I'm currently drifting as safely through the Vortex as possible so you and Rose can fix your...situation'._

'_**Yes well...you may be helping with that, which we are most grateful for I'm sure, but you're not helping much with anything else'.**_

A loud hum trembled beneath him, causing the pots and pans that hung on the wall to shake.

'_I am in my own way, and as I told you, not all of your memories are meant to be restored to you by me'._

'_**Fine. Well...thank you, anyway. Now if you'll excuse me!'**_

The Doctor headed to the entrance of the kitchen, clutching a number of silver objects in his hand. As he reached the door, he stopped and glanced around the kitchen.

'_**If you can talk to me in my head, then what's with all the humming and the light dimming and such like?'**_

'_You may aswell ask why humans don't only communicate by speech'._

'_**Eh?'**_

'_Well, humans, and many other species, don't just communicate their thoughts and feelings by words; they hug and kiss and hold hands'._

'_**So, you're saying your whole...humming, whirring and spark-spitting is the equivalent of hugs and kisses?'**_

The TARDIS laughed with him.

'_Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humour along with your memory. It is simply my way of communicating without entering your mind, sometimes words aren't needed to express emotion'._

The Doctor smiled at the wisdom in those words.

'_**So, if you're so skilled at the whole tampering with the lights, do you fancy doing me a favour?'**_

'_...What did you have in mind?'_

* * *

Rose stretched languidly, arching her arms up high above her head. She cracked open an eye and sighed with relief as she wasn't met with the face of Freddy, but the title menu of the film. She hadn't intended to fall asleep, although she was glad she had missed most of the sightings of her least favourite man, it was just the position she had been in; snuggled up close to the Doctor, his hand gently playing with her hair, her fingers idly drawing patterns on his shirt, it had somehow lulled her into a sleep. It was strange; even though he wasn't, within reason, completely her Doctor, she felt as close to him as before, albeit still upset over the loss of the memories. Although, doubt filled her mind at the thought of what would happen when he returned to his normal state.

What if his memories returned and he acted like this; the closeness and the touching and increase of emotion between them, had never happened?

Rose sighed again, running a hand through her hair in confusion. The absence of the Doctor suddenly became apparent to her and she sat up, staring around the room as though she expected him to be perched in the corner somewhere.

''Doctor?''

No reply. Rose felt an eerie feeling course through her; she was alone, after watching a scary film, and the Doctor was lacking his memories and was seemingly wandering in the TARDIS, without waking her to tell her where he had gone.

Goosebumps began to form tracks along her arms as she clutched a pillow tightly to her chest. Irrational fear made itself known in the back of her mind and she spun around quickly to check behind her, and of course there was nothing there.

''Doctor, this isn't funny!''

Again, she received no reply. Rose stood up slowly, as though afraid any quick movement could set something off within the dark room. The blanket pooled at her feet as she stepped towards the open door, holding the pillow out in front of her like a shield. She peered around the door frame to find the corridor ahead almost completely submerged in darkness, the only light present was situated from somewhere around the corner at the end. Rose swallowed hard as the fear began to overtake her; butterflies jumped ferociously around inside her stomach and the hairs on her arms stood to attention.

This was too much like a horror movie.

She shook her head, determined to rid her mind of such ridiculous thoughts.

Thoughts that didn't seem so ridiculous as the sound of her own breathing seemed to scream down the corridor.

''Doctor?'' Rose whispered, afraid to speak any louder.

Slowly, with the pillow positioned in front of her in defence, Rose walked down the hall, trying desperately to resist the urge to glance anywhere but directly ahead. The rules of the movies always suggested that it was a mistake to turn around.

Because that was where the murderer always placed himself! Rose gave a shriek and spun around blindly, swinging the pillow blindly at the air behind her.

''Doctor! This really isn't funny anymore!'' Rose shouted, blushing despite the fact that nobody had seen her attack thin air.

She padded down the hall, holding her breath as she reached the corner. She pressed herself up against the wall, and listened intently, waiting for a sound to suggest movement.

Nothing.

Where was he?

Rose released the breath she had been holding, lowered the pillow to her side and turned the corner quickly. Just like ripping a plaster off, her mum had always told her, when it came to facing fear.

Although, she had looked a Dalek straight in the face and that was a lot worse than walking down a dark corridor alone. At this precise moment though, Rose would have to disagree.

She fully rounded the corner and for a split second, could only see the kitchen at the other end, and the corridor to her left that led to her bedroom and the control room at the further end, and then a dark figure jumped out in front of her.

A dark figure with four blades upon his hand.

Rose screamed, and without a second thought, swung the pillow with all of her might.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed it! I've done similar things with pillows in empty dark corridors, and I always felt so stupid afterwards P Although thankfully I never had to throw them at figures with blades on their hands, only my brother wearing a gorilla mask XD _

_please review, thank you! love you all! )_


	8. Chapter 8

_Oh you guys are making me all so happy with your reviews and adding me to your alerts and everything! :) I really am so pleased that you're enjoying my story, and can see that some of you are drawing your own theories as to what is going to happen, and how the Doctor is going to get his memory back etc, well you shall have to wait and see!_

_This chapter was originally going to be part of a much bigger one, but I decided to make it more interesting and let you wait for more hehe. enjoy!_

_The same italic rules apply as the previous chapter x_

* * *

The evil snickering echoed around Rose as she shrieked and swung the pillow blindly, missing the figure completely as it stepped to the side, blades poised for attack. Rose continued to scream at the top of her voice as the figure lunged towards her; she ducked under the attacking arm and flung the pillow at the figure again, this time catching it full in the face. Without waiting to see how the attacker would react, Rose turned on her heels and fled, her bare feet smacking hard against the floor as she blindly flew down the corridor. All the lights were off; the only source was the faint glow from the console as she ducked underneath the edge of it, drawing her knees up to her chin and grasped the pillow tightly to herself in an attempt to conceal her location better.

Her chest heaved with each heavy breath that she took; her heart felt like it was bouncing around against her ribs and her eyes stared unseeingly into the dim room.

What was that thing?!

How on earth had it found a way to get into the TARDIS?

Where was the Doctor?

The questions that whirled around her mind remained unanswered as Rose heard footsteps, steps that grew louder and louder until finally, she heard a wicked laugh and the unmistakable brush of metal against metal.

''Come out and play...''

Rose covered her mouth in an attempt to muffle the scream that threatened to burst out as she heard the slippery voice of the figure, which she could definitely now identify as a man. The footsteps started again; slowly edging their way around the console, closer to her. Rose pressed her hand harder against her mouth, trying to stop the sound of her own breathing as it seemed too loud inside her own head.

Why wasn't the TARDIS doing something about this insane intruder?!

Rose squeezed her eyes shut and brought the pillow noiselessly up to her face as the steps drew closer and closer, bracing herself for whatever was about to happen, her silent pleas having no effect as the footsteps sounded directly in front of her.

''One two, Freddy's coming for you...''

Freddy?

Her eyes flew open and she found herself staring at a pair of feet; a pair of feet wearing the same converse trainers that the Doctor had been wearing earlier on...which could only mean...

''Doctor!!''

Rose leapt to her feet and found herself face to face with a grinning Doctor; he took one look at the incredulous look on her face and erupted into laughter. Rose glared at him, clutching the pillow so hard in her hand that her knuckles turned white as the lights surged on and the familiar hum sounded around her. She watched him tumble into the captain's chair, shaking with uncontrollable laughter. The blunt silver kitchen knives, which he had been using to replicate the famous gloved hand with razor knives attached to it, slid to the floor as the Doctor held onto the chair with his head thrown back as he continued to chuckle.

''How could you do that?!'' Rose shouted at him, throwing the pillow angrily at him. It bounced off his chest, and only seemed to make him laugh even more.

''I'm...sorry!!'' He wheezed, leaning to one side of the chair in an attempt to sit up straight. Rose continued to glare at him, and felt her anger increase as her cheeks began to turn red with embarrassment.

''It was just too easy! I couldn't help myself! And then when you attacked me with the...pillow!'' He exploded again, seizing hold of one of the arms of the chair in order to stay upright. Rose growled, stalked over and seized him by the lapels of his jacket. The Doctor stopped laughing immediately as he caught sight of the livid glint in her eyes.

''Do you have any idea how terrified I was?! Not only did you make me watch that bloody film, you decide to try and be funny, and scare me half to death?!''

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer her, but blinked in surprise as she shook him.

''I thought there was some maniac loose on the TARDIS! I thought something could have happened to you! That wasn't funny! I just...oh I don't care if you've lost your memory, I'm so mad at you!''

She shoved him back into the chair and began to stalk towards her bedroom.

''Rose, wait!'' The Doctor jumped to his feet, an apologetic look etched across his face. ''I'm sorry!''

Rose spun around, and he was shocked to see tears glistening in her eyes.

''I don't care! I don't care how sorry you are! You always say you're sorry, but that never stops you from doing bad things!''

The Doctor frowned. ''Rose, I-''

''But of course you wouldn't remember, would you! It was your stupid idea to go on this journey so it's your own damn fault that you lost your memory, and I decided to try and help you 'cos it's killin' me to look you in the eye and know that it's not the full you who's looking back at me''.

The tears began to trickle down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away. ''But you know what, right now, I really couldn't give a damn! Get your own bloody memories back, cos why should I help someone who can forget me so easily after everything we've been through!''

With that, she turned and stomped down the hall and several moments later, the Doctor heard the unmistakeable sound of her bedroom door being slammed shut. He sighed and rubbed his hands wearily over his face.

Maybe he had overdone it a little bit.

'_A little bit? Doctor, you scared the poor girl out of her wits!'_

The Doctor peeked over the tips of his fingers, and raised an eyebrow.

'_**You helped! I don't see why she wasn't mad at you either!'**_

'_I'm supposed to do what you tell me; I am your ship after all'_

'_**Funny that, from what I've heard, you don't seem to always do what I tell you when I try and direct you to certain places'**_

The TARDIS growled and nudged the back of his mind. '_That's your fault for trying to pilot me all by yourself!'_

The Doctor blew his breath up into his fringe, causing it to ruffle back.

''I should go talk to her''.

'_I wouldn't. The worse mistake a man can make is to approach a scorned woman; dangerous beings they can be. You should leave her to calm down for a bit, she'll talk to you when she's ready'._

The Doctor groaned and scratched his head thoughtfully.

'_**I didn't mean to scare her so much; I thought she would find it funny'**_

He could have sworn he heard the TARDIS roll a few parts of her interior at his words.

'_Somehow, I doubt you would find it funny if she dressed up as a Dalek and chased you down the hall. _

'_**Dalek...are those the things that look like giant salt and pepper pots?''**_

'_The Daleks are one of your greatest enemies, Doctor'._

'_**Really? Blimey, I'm quite glad I don't remember them then!'**_

'_Doctor...I don't think that's-'_

'_**Are you sure I shouldn't go after her?'**_

'_Trust me Doctor, best to just leave her be for now. Find some other way to keep yourself occupied...if that's at all possible'._

''Cheeky ship'' He mumbled and sat back in the chair, absently playing with the hem of his shirt. Moments ticked by and a sudden yawn overtook him.

'_I haven't seen you yawn in many Vortex trips, perhaps you should go get some sleep'._

The Doctor shook his head in a weak effort to escape the wave of sleepiness that had come over him.

'_**Do I not sleep that often then?'**_

'_Best save that question for another day, come on, I'll show you to your bedroom'._

The Doctor yawned again and allowed the TARDIS to nudge him in the direction of his room. Maybe when he awoke, Rose would be willing to forgive him.

Hopefully.

* * *

The Doctor groaned sleepily and rolled onto his back, completely unsure as to why he had suddenly woken up. He had no idea how long he had been sleeping, but from the aura of weariness that hung over him, he could tell it hadn't been long enough. He nestled his head back into the pillow and allowed himself to stare up at the ceiling, even though he could find nothing of interest there.

He had found his room with no trouble at all, considering it was located right along from Rose's bedroom. He hadn't recalled seeing it earlier on, and was surprised to be informed by the TARDIS that she could move the rooms around to wherever she wished, or to where they were requested to be. Something in his head told him that Rose had asked for his bedroom to be moved near to hers in order to keep a better eye on him, although now he could only assume she couldn't care less where his sleeping quarters were located.

He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. He had played such a stupid trick; he had done it with the intention of just having a bit of fun, not to scare her completely out of her mind. He thought she would have laughed along after giving him a bit of a scolding, but of course, she had been furious and embarrassed.

What a way to mess things up even more, not only was he lacking a memory, he had just deeply upset the girl who was trying to help him restore it.

He was such a fool. Poor Rose; sweet Rose who was nothing but loyal and wonderful, he had known that straight away, and obviously before he lost his memory, and he repaid her by scaring her and laughing at her embarrassment.

As soon as she woke up, he would fix it. He would beg for forgiveness, make her laugh and smile any way he could, and make it a great day, considering her birthday was cut short after he hit his head.

Yes, that sounded like a good plan, and the plan would happen sooner if he went back to sleep.

With that idea in mind, the Doctor rolled onto his side and buried himself into the warmth of the mattress, praying that sleep would overtake him soon.

Perhaps it would prove to be a lot easier to drift off if there wasn't some odd sound coming from somewhere along the hall. The Doctor lifted his head and frowned slightly as he listened intently. The noises were muffled by his door, and yet they seemed to be growing louder and more frantic. The Doctor hopped off the bed, crept over to the door and leant against the wooden frame; apparently Rose had requested wooden doors in case of an emergency, as it would be a lot easier to break down a wooden door instead of a metal one.

As he pressed his ear against the door, a sudden high pitched noise ripped down the hall and straight through him, turning his blood as cold as ice.

A scream; somebody had screamed.

Rose.

* * *

_What's happened?! Well you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out wont you! hope you enjoyed guys, please keep up the reviews! _

_xxx_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the reviews and for adding me to your alerts, I really appreciate it and I really am so happy that so many of you are enjoying the story, and I know that you're all starting to develop your own ideas as to what is going to happen, but you shall all have to just keep reading to find out hehe :P _

_Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and hopefully you all do too! :)_

* * *

The Doctor wrenched open the door and shot out into the corridor; so fast that he tripped over his own feet and slammed into the wall opposite him. A sudden electronic whirring sound met his ears and he stared down at his suit in alarm; he hadn't thought to take it off when he went to sleep. He patted his jacket frantically, grimacing as another scream rang out from Rose's bedroom just down the hall. Finally, he placed his hand over the location of the buzzing and reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small device; a slim silver tool of some kind.

He studied it curiously yet briefly, before pressing one of the buttons that sat upon it. A blue light emanated from the tip and the light that sat above his head suddenly surged brightly before it went out with a bang. He stared in surprise at the device, but refused to allow himself to be distracted as a series of shriek and cries met his ears. Fear coursed through him as he ran the few metres down the hall and without a second thought, kicked open the door of Rose's bedroom and darted in, holding the humming gadget in front of him as he stared around expectantly.

The room was exactly as it had been earlier; no intruders, no frightening aliens, no dark shadows lurking in the corners, nothing. Yet Rose, who was lying on her bed under the covers, continued to scream, her breath coming out in short bursts as she tossed and turned.

The Doctor stuffed the device back into his jacket pocket as he hurried to her side; he pulled back the covers to find her face screwed up in panic, her hands clutching the bedspread tightly as she thrashed around fiercely. He swallowed as he placed his hands on the edge of the bed and leant closer to her.

''Rose, wake up, it's just a dream!''

His words had no effect as Rose continued to shriek and roll around, becoming more tangled in her bed covers. He crawled up onto the bed itself and began to shake her gently, his hands pressing into her shoulders in an attempt to rid her of this unconscious distress. Instead, Rose suddenly wrapped her fingers around his wrists and began to squeeze them tightly; her face twisted into an expression of terror.

''Rose! Wake up! It's not real!''

He shook her harder this time, and almost toppled backwards as she flung his arms away with a shove and began to flail her limbs wildly, almost as if she was running.

''Rose, please wake up!''

The Doctor grabbed either side of her face, his fingers pressing against her temples and all of a sudden, his body, his entire mind became enveloped in a powerful wave of light and force so fierce that it felt as though he was being spun in circles over and over until suddenly, he felt his feet slam heavily onto hard ground and the burning light faded away to reveal a dark, empty street.

He blinked, glanced over his shoulder to see the same dark street stretched out behind him, and blinked again.

This definitely wasn't the TARDIS.

He took in his surroundings. The street was damp and littered with puddles, as though it had just finished raining. A single streetlamp stood a few metres away from him; it flickered weakly, casting eerie shadows across the wet pavement. Several shops lined either side of the road; the names faded and windows smashed or boarded up, completely abandoned. A few houses covered the rest of the road, the windows displaying no light or life, as they too seemed to be empty. Black alleyways filled the gaps between the shops and houses; as uninviting as the rest of the street.

The Doctor glanced around once again, trying to calm the speed of his hearts. He had come to the sudden realization that having two hearts wasn't necessarily a good thing; especially when they both felt as though they were about to leap out of his throat.

He didn't like being nervous, not at all.

Where on earth was Rose?

A noise sent a shiver of shock down his spine and he spun around wildly; his eyes darting around erratically as he tried to locate the source of the noise; a slight scraping, like metal upon a hard surface.

He backed himself against the nearest shop window in order to gain a better view of the entire road; his eyes swivelling from one end to the next, intent on spotting whatever had created the noise, somewhere in the darkness.

The eerie silence returned for several seconds, before another sound broke through the quiet. A splash, followed by a heave footfall, and then another and another. The Doctor took a deep shaky breath and cast his glance back up the street, and froze. A shadowy figure trailed slowly, almost playfully down the path, his hand brushing against the walls and shops that he passed as he walked along.

The Doctor looked to his left and spotted the alleyway that sat next to him; he silently darted into the darkness before peeking back out at the form that was still wandering down the road.

It definitely wasn't Rose.

As it drew closer to him, he could make out the shape of a brimmed hat, and the outline of several instruments that were clutched in the hand that dragged along the walls. He ducked back slightly as the figure seemed to glance in his direction, before sneaking into the alley it had found its way to. The Doctor carefully stepped back into the light, staring at the entrance of the passageway that the figure had darted into, but nothing stepped back out of it.

He sighed and leant back against the wall, slightly relieved to be alone on the street again; he much preferred it that way than to sharing it with a strange figure in a hat.

Now all he had to do was find Rose and work out what on earth was going on, and then-

A bloodcurdling scream slashed through the silence and shook his bones fiercely; he snapped his gaze back to the alleyway once again and almost screamed himself as a different figure came tearing out of it.

Rose.

Dressed in her baby blue pyjamas, barefoot and obviously soaking wet, she flew along the road at full speed, sobbing hysterically as she darted into yet another opening between two shops, and disappeared into the darkness.

Without waiting to see if the indistinguishable figure would make yet another appearance, the Doctor ran across the street, flinching as the sound of his steps reverberated loudly along the road. He flung himself into the shady pathway and slowed to a silent walk; trying to ignore how loud he seemed to be breathing. He could make out a faint sound, almost like a muffled sob, somewhere in the dark.

He let out a low breath, and opened his mouth to speak, but became aware to the dryness of his throat as no more than a raspy word escaped his lips.

''Rose?''

He received no reply as he continued to feel his way blindly along the wall. A sudden idea struck his mind and he reached into his pocket and once again withdrew the little device that resided there. He glanced at it before holding his breath as he pressed a button; the blue light burst from the tip followed by the familiar electronic whirring that seemed to scream into the thick silence that surrounded him. He held the device away from himself as he ventured forward; praying that whoever had scared Rose so badly couldn't hear the buzzing.

''Rose?''

A hushed sob came from somewhere just in front of him, and he held the device up higher and almost gave a cry of relief as he spotted her standing a few feet away from him; she was crouched next to a cluster of metal dustbins with her head buried in her arms as she shook and sobbed with fear.

The Doctor darted over to her and knelt beside her, careful not to touch her so he wouldn't frighten her anymore.

''Rose? It's me, the Doctor, everything's gonna be alright, it's just a bad dream!''

He reached out a hand to reassure her, but a sudden voice stopped him in his tracks.

''One two, Freddy's coming for you...''

Fear stabbed into the Doctor as the voice turned his blood cold; Rose hunched up tighter into a ball and continued to sob and shake as a shadow was cast over them from the entrance of the alley.

It couldn't be...

The Doctor slowly twisted his head to look at the approaching shape; the unmistakeable blades scraped against the bricks as it drew closer, the familiar hat so obvious in the dim light that came from the street.

It wasn't impossible...

The Doctor drew himself up to his full height and stood in front of Rose as he held out the buzzing tool once again.

Oh, but it clearly wasn't impossible, as a severely burnt face and sinister grin came into view.

Freddy Krueger.

''Three four, better lock your door...''

Rose screamed, and the sadistic grin grew bigger as he scraped his blade covered hand against the wall once again before bringing up in front of his face with a flourish.

He snickered and the Doctor thrust the device forward slightly, praying for a result.

Freddy only grinned again; flexing his gloved hand as he peered behind the Doctor to look at Rose, who was curled up against the dustbin, trembling with such force that the Doctor could feel the vibrations beneath his feet.

''Five six, grab your crucifix...''

He made a swipe with his talons and the Doctor jumped back, stumbling into the dustbins as Freddy advanced on them, brushing the metal blades together in a sick musical tune.

The Doctor looked from Rose to Freddy, and then back to Rose again.

_It's not real._

''Seven eight, gonna stay up late...''

The Doctor scrabbled off the lids of the dustbins and crashed next to Rose, who shrieked with fear and gripped her hair tightly between her fingers. The Doctor stuffed the seemingly useless gadget back into his pocket before he seized hold of her arms and shook her desperately.

''Rose, listen to me, it's just a dream!''

He flinched but refused to turn his head as Freddy cackled from just behind him.

''Nine ten, never gonna sleep again...''

The Doctor gave a frustrated growl and shook her again.

''Rose!! It's not real, it's just a dream! Look at me!''

Freddy let out a manic laugh and Rose shrieked once again. The Doctor seized her wrists and wrenched her arms apart, causing her head to shoot upright. Her terror filled eyes met his as he squeezed her arms frantically.

''It's not real!''

Rose simply stared at him for a moment, before she suddenly leapt forward and threw her arms tightly around his neck.

''Doctor!''

He only managed to wrap his own arms around her in return before he was engulfed in a familiar light and force that surged and swirled around them, he clung to Rose tightly as they were spun around in circles but before he had a chance to even close his eyes, a sight shot past his vision his senses were invaded; words, smells and sights began to take over him as he was twirled around.

He could see...Rose...and himself...sat upon a grassy bank overlooking a building and...was that the smell of apple?

And then...a castle... something about Dame Rose...and a massive creature chasing after him...a woman named Victoria, a queen...

A robotic voice flew past his ears...something about a canine...K-9?

Silver men marched past his eyes...followed by blimps floating in the air...something about allon...Allonsy? What the...

His lips felt a sense of tingling pressure as something pressed against them...no somebody else's lips...a woman in a fancy dress danced past him, followed by Rose...and a young man...strapped to tables, surrounded by...some kind of robots...wearing fake wigs...

Was that...Rose without a face? How...on earth had...and

The Doctor almost yelled in confusion as the power that seemed to surrounded him and Rose seemed to increase and they were thrust backwards and forwards and suddenly the visions vanished, the force faded into nothing and the spinning stopped as he found himself sitting upon Rose's bed, with Rose clutching hold of him fiercely, sobbing quietly.

Before he had a chance to speak, Rose pressed her face into the crook of his neck.

''Oh Doctor, I had the most frightening dream, Freddy Krueger was after me and then...you were there...and then...''

She pulled back to look at him, and her tears stopped as she took in the confused expression on the Doctor's face, who was staring straight ahead as though he had seen a ghost.

''Doctor?

She stared at him expectantly as he moved his gaze down to meet hers; a strange spark glinted in the molten chocolate brown that caused several butterflies to dance inside her stomach.

''That...you...were in my dream? You...saw all the...things and...''.

She stopped as a wide grin spread across his face; a manic and excited grin.

'Watch out Rose Tyler, Allonsy!''

* * *

_Hehe oh that was fun, but who knows what can happen next! Please review and I will update as soon as I can! :)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Hey guys! Thank you so much again for all the reviews and everything, and to those of you who have added me to their alerts. You have no idea how happy I am that you like my story. So hopefully it'll make you happy when I say that this story is far from over yet :P _

_I spent a good five hours, maybe more, on this chapter so I hope it will be thoroughly enjoyed!_

* * *

A screaming silence surrounded the two companions as they sat on the bed; arms still tightly around each other. Rose felt an excited burst of energy course through her body as the Doctor continued to grin at her, his eyes alive and shining with enthusiasm. Before she could even think to utter a word, he laughed cheerfully and squeezed her tightly, his head resting against hers as he rocked them from side to side in an excited hug.

''Oh you, Rose Tyler, are brilliant!''

Rose could only stammer in surprise as he leapt off the bed and began to pace around the room, his fingers trailing back and forth through his hair, the happy grin still dancing on his lips. He spun around to face her; his eyes wide and full of surprise and unmistakeable excitement.

''I saw it! Oh, so many things, all those adventures, and apple grass! How could I forget apple grass?!''

Rose giggled as he hurriedly reached into his jacket and retrieved the little device that resided inside his pocket; he squeezed it tightly between his fingers.

''And how could I forget my sonic screwdriver? Such a brilliant thing!''

He beamed at it for a moment before shoving it back into his pocket, Rose continued to just smile at him from where she sat, letting him revel in the moment.

''All those places, all those people! K-9 and Mickey the idiot! Madame de Pompadour, and oo, sorry''.

He cringed as a grimace passed over Rose's face at the mention of the French woman from the eighteenth century. He ruffled his hair awkwardly for a moment before smiling again; he bounced back over to Rose and scrabbled back onto the bed beside her, taking her hands in his.

''I really don't have a clue what I would do without you Rose Tyler...weell, actually I do, floating around time and space on my own is what I would be doing, and very lonely too I might add, not that this old girl isn't company enough but I...''

He stopped rambling as Rose gave him a pointed look, urging him to get to the point. He smiled sheepishly and squeezed her fingers gently.

''Point is, you never let me down, and I'm just sorry, I'm so sorry that this had to happen, especially on your birthday''.

Rose gave him a reassuring smile which he returned before placing a hand on her hair, his fingers lightly stroking it. Rose tried to control the content yet shocked sigh that threatened to escape at his touch.

''I really can't believe you remember'', The Doctor's grin grew bigger at her words, ''All the things we've seen and done; the Cybermen, being knighted by Queen Victoria, defeating Mr Finch with Sarah Jane and K-9...''

The Doctor chuckled ''Ah yes, quite the duo, a brilliant bond between man and machine...well in this case, woman and machine''.

Rose grinned. ''Yeah, they are wonderful. And of course, there was the sanctuary base on Krop Tor, with Ida and her gang, and the Ood...little Chloe and the Isolus...then of course, the battle of Canary Wharf, with the Daleks and Cybermen, and Bad Wolf Bay...why are you lookin' at me like that?''

The Doctor had frozen; his hand still upon her hair and his face creased into an expression of confusion.

''I...don't know what you're talking about...what's an Ood? And what battle of Canary Wharf?''

Rose felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach at his words.

''But I thought...you remembered! You remembered Queen Victoria and New Earth and K-9 and Sarah Jane! You remembered!''

Rose felt her anger grow as tears began to prickle her eyes; The Doctor only continued to stare at her with the same apologetic frown he had given her when he hadn't been able to recognize her before.

''You even did your whole mind reading thing! You got into my dream and everything, you saw all those things in my head and...how can you not remember?!''

The Doctor scratched his head uncomfortably.

''I-''

''You said Allonsy!! You said...you...''

Words completely failed her; Rose shoved herself away from the Doctor and went over to stand by the wardrobe, her back to him as she ran her hands through her hair in frustration. The Doctor merely looked at his hands as thoughts began to fly through his mind.

He had entered Rose's dream, something which he knew now he tried to refrain from doing, just for the sake of not invading her privacy, as much as he had been tempted to over their time together. Reading minds was one thing; but entering dreams...it was so personal, so secretive and intimate that he could find or see anything, from the deepest and most guarded secrets and dreams to the biggest fears of that person, and sometimes people didn't want these things to be known. It was easy enough to lock away these things inside their minds, but with dreams, it was uncontrollable, they had no choice with what they saw and felt when they were asleep.

Of course, he hadn't remembered this until a few moments ago, so when he had touched Rose and entered her dream, he didn't know what to expect. Definitely not a nightmare involving a character from a film, and definitely not a sudden montage of past events, old friends and strange sensations. It seemed that the second Rose had set her eyes on him in her dream; the relief had been so strong that her mind became full of memories, the memories he had forgotten, but obviously, not all of them as he was still lacking several important points in his life it seemed, of his and Rose's life together.

''I'm sorry''.

Rose turned to look at him.

''So sorry''.

Rose sighed and let her arms drop to her sides as she offered him a weak smile.

''It's alright, it's just...I was so sure that suddenly, everything was back to normal''.

A sad smile appeared on the Doctor's face.

''I know...but at least we're one step closer...well, I hope so anyway''.

Rose walked over and stood by the side of the bed he was sitting on, her eyes burning into his. He gazed right back at her, trying to ignore the strange way his hearts seemed to be beating. He cleared his throat nervously.

''So, what now?''

Rose bit her bottom lip for a second in thought, and the Doctor ducked his gaze as he felt a sudden urge to lean closer to those lips.

''How does a cup of hot chocolate sound?''

The Doctor's eyes lifted quickly.

''With marshmallows?''

Rose giggled. ''If you're lucky''.

The Doctor grinned back at her and leapt off the bed to stand beside her. Rose looked at him for a moment before sticking out her hand; mirroring his actions from Christmas Day as she wiggled her fingers invitingly. He glanced down at it for a moment before he slipped his hand into her warm grasp, and locked their fingers tightly together. His eyes met hers and for a moment; they could only look at each other, as though they were both trying to find the right words to break the sudden quietness that appeared to surround them, but it seemed that the silence didn't want to be broken.

Rose became aware of the fact that the Doctor's thumb was gently caressing the palm of her hand, and she blushed as his eyes seemed to trail over every detail of her face.

''What?''

Rose felt the heat increase in her cheeks as her voice came out in a pitiful squeak.

The Doctor smiled; only it was a serious smile, as though he was contemplating telling her something important.

''Nothing. I just...no, it's nothing''.

Rose cocked her side to one side in question, but decided not to push it. She squeezed his hand softly.

''Shall we?''

The familiar grin was once again present.

''Allonsy!''

* * *

'_You know, you would probably both be a lot more comfortable if you went back to your bedroom'_

The Doctor lifted his head to look up at the ceiling; he felt a little less silly when he focused on a point when conversing with the TARDIS.

'_**Probably, but I don't want to wake her'.**_

As he said this, he tilted his head back down to look at the sleeping girl sat in his lap; Rose was perched upon his legs with her head pressed into the crook of his neck, her arms loosely wrapped around his waist. Several strands of hair hung by her mouth, and fluttered with every breath she released.

'_**What happened earlier? When I went into her dream?'**_

'_How am I supposed to know? I wasn't there with you'._

The Doctor cast a sceptical look around the kitchen, to which the TARDIS responded with a low growl.

'_Don't look at me like that'._

The Doctor smirked before his brow furrowed in thought.

'_**How can I suddenly remember all of these things, like I never even forgot them in the first place, but not remember all the other parts that I'm missing?'**_

'_You gained those memories back from what you saw in Rose's dream...sort of like a trigger in a way, it just caused you to simply remember them as thought they were never gone, but you could only gain back what you saw, and you didn't see everything'._

The Doctor puffed out his cheeks in a heavy breath, before crinkling his nose in annoyance.

'_**So what am I supposed to do? Wait until the next time I can invade her dreams?'**_

'_You didn't invade; you helped her out of a nightmare. But to answer your question, I don't know how. I may have my memories, but I'm a machine, and I am not as complicated as the mind of a time lord'._

He smiled at this.

'_**I thought you lost all your...memory kinda stuff when this all occurred earlier!'**_

'_I did, in a way, but like I said, I'm a time machine, I'm not as complicated as you'._

'_**So why don't you restore my memories if you managed to retrieve your own?'**_

'_Oh Doctor, memories aren't just like the odd gadget or toy that you drop down the side of the chair and forget about until you find it again accidentally years later; they are intricate and delicate things, and sometimes it is not the place of anybody else but yourself to retrieve them. And sometimes, it may be up to one specific person to restore them for you'._

The Doctor cast his eyes back to Rose, who shifted slightly against his chest before nestling her head gently back on his shoulder.

'_**You mean Rose?'**_

'_She's the biggest part of all the memories you have lost, she's the one constant thing in your life, except for me. So many things have revolved around you both; time and events have led to you two struggling to stay together through it all, and you've always managed to do so because you need each other'._

He gazed down at Rose as the TARDIS spoke; oh yes he needed her, that he was most sure of.

'_There was a time when you would never let anybody in close enough to care this deeply about you, but you let her in so far that it would be impossible for you to be without her. Together, you two have seen and done so much; so many people have been saved by the legends that are, Rose Tyler and her Doctor. She's the one you need Doctor, and she's the one who can help you'._

He couldn't help but smile at this; Rose Tyler and her Doctor. He reached up a hand and gently stroked her golden hair; he was close enough to catch the scent of the apple shampoo she used. She smelt just like the grass on New Earth; so familiar and so wonderful.

That's definitely what she was; completely wonderful.

After they had left her bedroom they had settled down in the kitchen, and he had sat and watched her make two cups of hot chocolate, and laughed at the way she selected the biggest marshmallows for him from the bag in the cupboard. She had sat opposite him at the other end of the small table, and slowly nursed her cup as a silence had fallen over them for a while, as neither could think of anything to do but simply look at each other, and all the while he couldn't help but notice the strange fluttering sensation happening in the pit of his stomach.

After several minutes of silence, the Doctor had enquired her on what they were going to do about restoring the rest of his memory. Rose had pondered on this for a moment before offering the idea of him listening as she recalled of their adventures, the Doctor had laughed at this and referred to it as story time, which caused Rose to smile, and that smile sent the butterflies in his stomach into a frenzy.

They had continued to sip their hot chocolate and he asked Rose to describe it all, even the things he could remember. She had thrown him a confused glance but he urged her to do it, just so he could hear it all, right down to the minor points that never seemed important until now. And so she began from the very beginning; reliving every single adventure, describing every tiny little detail, from what she had felt when he had held her hand on Christmas Day, to the way Cassandra made him speak when she took over his body, how she felt when he had left her for Madame de Pompadour, and the list went on as she regaled him with their escapades. However, as she spoke her eyes had begun to droop and her words started to stumble and soon, the Doctor had scooped her up in his arms and sat back with her in his lap, his arms securely wrapped around her as she continued to mumble until finally, she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

They were still no closer to gaining any of the lost memories, but for now, that didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was here, with Rose nestled safely in his embrace, and neither of them were going anywhere anytime soon.

Although, the hard back of the chair was doing nothing for his back. He squirmed as carefully as possible, careful not to disturb Rose. The TARDIS hummed softly around him as he wriggled.

'_Doctor, take her back to her room. You have three more days to listen to all the stories she can tell you'._

'_**Three more days?! It's only been a day?'**_

'_Yes, in fact Rose's birthday ended just a few minutes ago'._

The Doctor groaned in frustration; he had completely forgotten about that. Granted, they had spent a lot of time just relaxing in each other's company which had been extremely pleasant, and apparently he had given her some brilliant birthday breakfast and presents, and had started their journey to the love stones, but since then, it hadn't been the best of days.

'_**Hasn't exactly been the greatest birthday for her, having to put up with all of this'.**_

'_Somehow, I think she doesn't mind as much as she probably should. Besides, you've got three more days to make it up to her; and of course the whole point of this journey was to give her a big birthday surprise'._

'_**Yeah, you're right. I just feel bad...well in face I feel quite terrible, worse than terrible, I feel-'**_

'_I understand what you're saying. Worry about it later; for now, go get some rest'._

The lights suddenly dimmed to a low glow, and the Doctor chuckled as the TARDIS nudged his mind softly, urging him to rest. He carefully slipped his arms around Rose and lifted her with him as he stood; holding his breath as she wriggled around before settling down again. He smiled down at her as he walked in the direction of her bedroom.

''Thank you Rose Tyler,'' He whispered as he quietly pushed her bedroom door open with his foot, ''For absolutely everything''.

He gently placed her on the bed, making sure that her head rested perfectly on the pink pillows. He grabbed the edge of the duvet and covered her with it; pulling it up so high that it touched the tip of her chin. He grazed her cheek with the back of his knuckles for a moment before he turned to head to his own room; but a hand suddenly seized his own and held on tight. He glanced over his shoulder to find Rose peering at him sleepily.

''Where you goin'?''

He scratched his ear and glanced around, suddenly nervous.

''Oh, I was just erm...going back to my room so I could...sleep...why is something wrong?''

Rose didn't answer, but tugged on his hand until he was kneeling on the bed beside her. She released his hand to throw back a corner of the blanket; to which the Doctor raised his eyebrows at her.

''What are you doing?''

Rose gave him a dozy smile before rolling onto her side with her back towards him.

''Stay''.

The Doctor could have sworn he felt one of his hearts explode as she spoke; his blood suddenly felt too hot and he cast a glance around the room, just to make sure she wasn't talking to anybody else.

''What?''

Rose groaned before opening one eye to look at him over her shoulder.

''I said, stay''.

He stared back at her, fully aware that his mouth was hanging open in a stupid manner.

''C'mon, get in and to go sleep''.

With that, Rose turned her gaze away from him and shifted until she was comfortable again; it was definitely not a request, but a command.

A command that the Doctor was more than happy to follow.

He removed his shoes first and tossed them into a corner, quickly followed by his jacket. He glanced down at his suit trousers, completely at a loss as to what to do with them.

''Are you wearing boxers?''

His eyes snapped up to look at Rose, who was now sitting up and peering at him through half closed eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck as he cocked an eyebrow at her.

''Erm...well yes, I mean, of course I...why?''

Rose snorted. ''Well then sleep in them silly, it's not like I haven't seen you in them before''.

He couldn't help but grin at this; of course she had seen him in his boxers on Christmas Day when she had changed him into a pair of pyjamas. However, he glanced at her curiously and wondered if she would be so willing to accept him into her bed with her if she was completely awake and not full of hot chocolate.

''Just hurry up and get in, or I might not let you have any duvet''.

Rose smiled to herself as she nestled back into the bed and heard the obvious sounds of the Doctor ridding himself of his clothes. Several seconds later, the bed dipped briefly as he leant upon it and scrabbled under the covers. The room fell into silence, except for the gentle hum of the TARDIS that sung down the corridor outside the door, which had somehow shut by itself. The Doctor blinked and suddenly found the room darker than it was a few seconds ago; the small spotlights that sat in the ceiling had lowered to a soft dim glow, a glow that almost seemed...

'_Romantic?'_

'_**What are you up to?'**_

He could have sworn he heard the musical hum of the TARDIS laughing.

'_Nothing, absolutely nothing. Now go to sleep, you deserve rest'._

The Doctor sighed peacefully before closing his eyes; only to snap them open again as Rose shifted next to him and rolled her entire body over to face him. He looked over to find her gazing at him through a pair of tired eyes that somehow still seemed to sparkle in the dark. He shifted his position to mirror hers, and gave a silent gasp as she pulled him closer and pressed herself against him; her right arm wrapping around his waist gently.

''Goodnight Doctor''.

He slowly snaked his arms around her; one through the gap by the side of her neck that was almost pressed against the bed to hook around her upper back, and the other around her waist. He pulled himself closer until he could rest his head gently on top of hers as she buried hers into his neck; her breath tickled his skin and he relaxed completely before giving her a gentle squeeze.

''Goodnight Rose''.

* * *

_Hehe, did you really think I would make it that easy for him to get his memories back? :P_

_Hope you liked it!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey guys! Once again thank you all for the reviews, and a big thank you to NewDrWhoFan who pointed out my little mistake a few chapters back :P ooops hehe, but for that this chapter is dedicated to you my friend, as a thank you :)_

_anyway, this is just a sort of...filler chapter if you will, something sweet for you all! enjoy!_

* * *

Warm; she was so incredibly warm. The snugness of the fluffy pillows and thick blanket was so divine, so perfect that she could only bury herself deeper into the wonderful comfort it provided, hoping that it wasn't time to wake up just yet.

A satisfying ache pulled her muscles as she stretched languidly, her arms reaching out to touch against either side of the bed; the lazy smile that was present on her face quickly faded as her fingers brushed against something that was definitely not a discarded pillow.

For one thing, pillows didn't have hair.

Rose inhaled deeply before she slowly opened her eyes, and looked to her left. The sight that met her eyes caused her heart to leap into her throat in shock. A very almost naked Doctor lay beside her, sprawled upon his stomach with his face turned towards her, his arms tucked underneath the pillow that his head rested upon. Rose couldn't hide the grin that started to creep onto her lips as she twirled several strands of his ruffled hair gently around her fingers, and watched as his back lifted and fell as he breathed deeply.

She couldn't bring herself to wake him; in all the time she had been travelling with him, she had never seen him sleep. She wasn't even sure that he did sleep usually, but she could only assume that the process of losing his memory and the attempts at trying to remember had worn him out, so he had no choice. Rose trailed her hand down his face to rest on his cheek, the pads of her thumb gently brushing the hint of stubble that resided upon his jaw. It was hard to believe that the Doctor; the man who slept so peacefully beside her, was the one who possessed the power and skill to destroy worlds and and defeat races far stronger than himself. It didn't seem possible, right here and now, with him so quiet and undisturbed, and completely stripped down to nothing but his boxers.

They would definitely be in trouble if a Dalek burst through the door anytime soon.

Rose chuckled to herself which was immediately followed by a gasp of shock as the Doctor moaned softly and began to fidget. She quickly retracted her hand as he grumbled before rolling onto his side and moved his arms until one rested just next to her, and the other lay haphazardly behind him. Rose held her breath as his mouth and nose twitched briefly before he became still once again, and his breath began to tickle the tip of her nose.

''Doctor...''

She extended her arm once again to gently shake his bare shoulder, and she felt the butterflies return to her stomach for the millionth time in the past twenty four hours as her fingers danced upon his warm skin. He remained motionless, except for the rise and fall of his chest.

''Doctor, wake up''.

She prodded his shoulder again, and gave a small shriek as the arm that lay behind him rose up, seized her wrist and pulled her flush against him. Rose stammered as both his arms came to wrap around her, squeezing her softly. Her nose nudged the crook of his neck and her fingers spread across his chest as she tried to shift into a position where she could see his face, but it proved to be impossible as he had already nestled his face into her messy hair.

''Doctor...are you awake?''

She received no response, and sighed, and tried to ignore the pounding of her heart. Even in her wildest daydreams she had not ever pictured this; but then why would she?

Yes, she cared for the Doctor greatly, so much that she knew she would do anything for him. He was her best friend after all, her very best friend. That was all.

Wasn't it?

If so, why did it feel as though her heart was about to leap out of her chest because of the way he was holding her against him?

And why was her stomach constantly under attack from a swarm of butterflies everytime he came near her, or each time he touched her, or even when he looked at her in a certain way?

And if he was just her best friend, why was she enjoying this embrace so much that she hoped he wouldn't decide to move anytime soon?

Maybe she was just reading into it too much, but then again, since he had lost his memory, he had been acting differently towards her.

Oh he had always been one for hand holding and sharing massive embraces whenever they were needed, but it never extended further than that, with the exception of the few awkward moments they had shared over their travels. Like on Krop Tor, when they believed they would never be able to get back to the TARDIS and would have to settle down somewhere, and Rose had suggested that they would share a mortgage and a house, which had caused them both to duck their heads in embarrassment.

However, last night had been something completely different, with the way he had cuddled up to her when they watched the movie, and how she had fallen asleep on his lap in the kitchen, and how he had carried her to her bed only to end up spending the night there with her, in his boxers no less.

Boundaries were being crossed, and for some reason, something that she couldn't understand and was even afraid to think about, she liked it.

Oh yes, she definitely liked it.

She sighed contently and allowed her head to drop down upon his arm that was positioned by her head. She held back a giggle as he groaned sleepily.

''Are you awake,'' She whispered, and grinned when he nuzzled her hair.

''Doctor?''

''Mmm...What?''

Rose giggled at the sound of his voice, thick and muffled with sleep.

''Are you awake?''

He groaned, and seemed to be completely unaware of the position they were in.

''Mmm...No''.

Rose snorted. ''Oh really''.

She felt him grin into her hair.

''Mmhmm, although, considering what I've woken up to, I'm not complaining''.

A blush instantly flew into her cheeks at his words; oh he was definitely aware of their position.

''Oh...I...''.

She couldn't get her words out, nor did she have a clue as to how she could respond. The Doctor failed to notice the awkward moment as he pulled her even closer, so now her chin was touching the top of his shoulder.

''M'sorry if I startled you earlier when I grabbed your hand,'' He mumbled groggily. ''It's just that you're so warm and cuddly''.

Rose's eyes widened in shock. He knew what he was doing; he had consciously pulled her into that embrace before, and acted as though it was the most normal thing in the universe.

''You...you erm, you were cold then?'' She stammered, glancing curiously at the side of his head as he shivered slightly.

''Ha, that tickles!'' He chuckled, and Rose felt the laugh reverberate through his bare chest. ''Your breath next to my ear, I mean. And no I wasn't cold really; I just couldn't resist stealing some of your body heat, or the scent of your apple shampoo''.

He inhaled deeply to emphasise his point.

''S-so...what's the plan for today then?''

The Doctor removed his nose from her hair and pushed her back slightly before sliding down the bed until his eyes were level with hers. She gazed into them, and smiled as they twinkled at her.

''Weell, seeing as your birthday was a bit of a disaster, I thought we could do something fun today!''

His enthusiastic grin faltered slightly as a frown appeared on Rose's face.

''Is that not a good idea?''

''It's just, I thought we were trying to get your memory back and I just assumed I would sit and tell you about all our adventures again, and just...hope for the best really''.

The Doctor reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand, and smiled kindly.

''That sounds like a great idea, and hopefully it will work! I just thought that I could make up for yesterday; we can have a really fun day, and do whatever you want! You can tell me more stories too, just...let me make it up to you?''

Rose could only gaze upon him with wonder; he was truly extraordinary. He had lost something so important to him, and yet all he wanted to do was make up for her birthday, he wanted to do something good for her to make her happy.

''Rose, why are you crying?''

She jumped a little as the pad of his thumb brushed a lone tear drop away; his eyes shone with concern.

''Rose? Did I do something wrong?''

She opened her mouth to speak but could only sniffle in reply as more tears began to escape from her eyes.

''Oh, me and my big mouth! Well, actually it's not that big if you really look at it, I'm sure there are creatures out there with larger mouths than my own, in fact I'm certain that-''

He frowned as Rose pressed a hand over his lips, but his brow relaxed as she offered him a weak grin.

''Yes you do have a big mouth, but it's a wonderful big mouth. It tells me lovely things; and you are remarkable, Doctor. I'm going to do everything I can to get your memories back, and what you just said, before your little ramble-''

She paused as his snigger tickled her fingers.

''Really means a lot to me, and I'm crying just because I'm a soppy idiot''.

She removed her hand from his mouth and he grinned at her as she wiped her eyes.

''Well, nothing wrong with soppy is there!''

He grabbed her into a strong embrace, his fingers wove into her hair and her arms wrapped firmly around his neck.

''You know what I just realised Doctor?''

''What?''

''This whole pillow talk thing probably something you would class as, dare I say it, domestic''.

She chucked as he pulled back to display the indignant look that had crossed his face.

''Hush your mouth Rose Tyler!''

She smirked before throwing back the covers and leaping to her feet.

''C'mon Doctor, there's fun to be had!''

He stood up and yanked on his suit trousers that lay beside the bed, and then flashed her a cheeky grin.

''Indeed there is, but first things first...''

Rose cocked her head to the side enquiringly, her tongue poking between her teeth in a merry grin.

''You need to catch me first!''

With that, he was out the door and down the hall, his laughter trailing behind him. Rose giggled happily and bounded after him, all worries discarded from her mind for this moment in time.

After all, it wasn't everyday that she saw a topless Doctor running through the TARDIS.

* * *

_What I would give to have a topless David Tennant running through my house...well, what I would give up to wake up to him haha!_

_Anyway, let me know what you think!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hey guys! I am so sorry_ _that it has taken me a while to update, my life has been hectic recently so I haven't really had a chance to sit down and write, which has been quite annoying but everything is calm once again, and as you can see, I am back in the world of fanfiction :) Anyway, hope this chapter was worth the wait, more will follow soon, I promise! :P_

* * *

Sometime later, after a giggle infested chase through the TARDIS that had resulted in the Doctor tumbling headfirst into the bath in one of the many bathrooms, the two companions were sat at the kitchen table together, each devouring a large fry up that the TARDIS had somehow conjured up.

As she ate, Rose couldn't help but notice that the Doctor was still lacking a shirt. He seemed oblivious to this fact as he shovelled a large slice of bacon into his mouth before fixing his gaze upon her, his cheeks puffed slightly as he chewed.

''What?'' He mumbled, attempting a grin without displaying the contents of his mouth.

Rose twirled her fork around her own food for a minute before smiling at him.

''Has it occurred to you that you are still missing a shirt?''

He glanced down at his bare chest, which Rose couldn't help but notice, was quite toned and muscular, which was strange considering he looked quite skinny underneath his usual suit and shirt attire. He swallowed before giving her a cheeky grin.

''So I am! I completely forgot, perhaps the tumble into the bathtub knocked my head a bit more than I thought it did''.

Rose chuckled. ''Yes, perhaps it did''.

''You don't mind, do you?''

Rose frowned in confusion. ''Mind what?''

''That I'm sitting across the table from you in nothing but my trousers, hardly appropriate is it, a person could get the wrong idea''.

Rose felt a cheeky, if slightly flirtatious smile, dance across her lips.

''Well, it's only me and you here, and I doubt the TARDIS is going to start developing theories as to what our relationship entails''.

''Our relationship?''

Her face turned hot and she turned her gaze to the plate of food in front of her as the Doctor studied her, his eyes alight with mischief.

''I meant, you know, our friendship...''

She raised her gaze to his and felt a breath catch in her throat as he stared at her, with a strange look on his face. A look that seemed to be full of some buried emotion, and as his eyes bore into hers, she spotted the twinkle that danced inside them, a gleam that almost reminded her of the way Mickey had looked at her once upon a time, back when young love was all that mattered.

Wait...young love?

Impossible, as the Doctor was hardly young, and the love between them never stretched over the boundary of platonic; they were best friends of course.

And a love for a best friend was entirely different than being in love with a person.

How different though?

''Rose?''

Her eyes focused on him. ''Sorry, what?''

''You were talking, and then kinda drifted off into what I suspect was Roseland,'' He grinned. ''You were saying, about our...friendship...''.

He paused to look at her; Rose felt the heat in her cheeks rise.

''Well yeah, when I said relationship, I meant in terms of our friendship...cos a friendship is a type of relationship...''.

Oh god, she felt so stupid, and why did he have to keep grinning at her like that?

''And...as I said, it's only us and the TARDIS, so no one's going to get any funny ideas about us, right? It's not like we've suddenly embarked on some secret love affair...''

Stop talking, Rose. Just stop talking.

The Doctor tilted his chair back slightly, his arms folded behind his head as he gazed up at the ceiling with the trademark cheeky grin still taking pride of place across his mouth.

''Oh I don't know, we've already slept in the same bed, and you've seen me in the bathtub, I'd say it's getting quite serious, wouldn't you agree, _dear?''_

The term of endearment, and his selected words sparked a fire in the pit of Rose's stomach. Was he trying to suggest what she thought he was?

Oh silly Time Lord, she thought as she leant closer to him over the table, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into.

''Surely, _darling, _it wouldn't so much be classed as some kind of strange love affair, but more as a lifestyle that has turned...shall we say, domestic?''

The legs of the chair slammed against the floor with a bang as the Doctor stared at her in shock, the palms of his hands pressed down upon the table.

''Rose Tyler, what are you saying?''

She grinned in return, and peered at him through her eyelashes as she lowered her voice.

''Well, I just thought that with you missing your shirt, and the fact that you are sat at the breakfast table with me and making small conversation, we could stand to be described as...an old married couple...''

She snatched the last piece of bacon from his plate and leant back in her chair, her eyes flashing wickedly at him as he gaped at her. She chuckled as his eyebrows almost disappeared under his floppy fringe and nibbled the slice of bacon that remained clutched between her fingertips.

''Old...married...couple?''

Rose grinned.

''Mm...Maybe not so old on my part, you on the other hand...''

His expression could only be described as one of complete astonishment at her words.

''Might wanna watch out there, your hair is starting to look a little grey''.

She giggled as his hands shot up to run through his hair, his eyes wide with shock. He seized the spoon that sat beside his plate and held it high; plucking at several strands of hair frantically as he stared at his reflection. Rose pasted an innocent smile on her face as he turned to glower at her.

''You are not funny, Miss Tyler''.

''Oh, I thought I was, I'm amusin' myself at least, and besides, you are old!''

''Am not!''

''You're tellin' me that you are over nine hundred years old and you don't consider yourself old?''

''You're only as old as you feel!''

''And how old do you feel?''

He tilted his head in thought, twirling the spoon between his fingers.

''Four hundred, maybe five hundred at the most''.

Rose held up her hands in mock defence and laughed.

''Well I'm sorry for any offence I may have caused, I almost forgot, you are quite young at heart...although if you have two, I'm not sure how it all adds up...''

''I think I can see where this is going,'' The Doctor said loudly, and Rose stuck her tongue out at him playfully. ''C'mon birthday girl, what fun shall we have today?''

''Shouldn't we be concentrating on getting your memory back?''

He waved his hand absently, and jumped as the spoon slipped from his fingers and hit the table.

''Plenty of time for that, and I said I'd make it up to you, and that's actually what I'm going to do! So Rose Tyler, what will it be? What's first on the list of our day of fun?''

Rose puckered her lips in thought and scratched her head lazily, only to frown as her fingers met a dry and matted bed of hair.

''First thing is a shower, I reckon''.

The Doctor started and fixed her with a peculiar glance. Rose returned his gaze for a moment before blinking in disbelief.

''Doctor, you didn't think I was suggesting a shower for both of us did you?!''

He leapt to his feet suddenly and rubbed the back of his neck, and failed to ignore the rise of temperature in his ears. They were probably the colour of tomatoes by now.

''No no, of course not! I just...misheard you, that's all!''

He seized hold of his now empty plate and strode over to the sink, fully aware of the Rose's surprised stare burning into his back.

''Besides, you women and your bathroom time is something that frightens me, and I wouldn't dare impose...not that I've ever thought about it, you understand!''

Rose only nodded in confusion.

''Of course...well I, better go and get started so...I'll come find you when I'm done, yeah?''

He turned and offered her a small smile.

''Yes, that sounds like a plan,'' His smile turned into his usual manic grin. ''Then we can have our day of fun!''

Rose stood up and shoved her hands into the pockets of her dressing gown as she smiled gently at him, resisting the urge to laugh at his discomfort. It was quite endearing really; the way he would move at high speed, how he would scratch the back of his neck or pull his ear gently and look anywhere but at her, before pasting a grin over his face and changing the subject.

Oh yes it was definitely endearing, Rose thought as he ducked his head once again as he fiddled with the tea towel that sat beside the sink. Not just endearing, it was...cute.

The Doctor lifted his head and looked at her, as though he could read her mind and knew she was thinking about him.

''You alright? You look a bit...confused''.

Images of the Doctor with wet hair and clad in nothing but a small white towel flew from her mind as she shook her head and fixed a smile on her lips.

''Nah, I'm fine, just...wondering about what we can do today''.

The Doctor faced her and leant back against the worktop, his fingers tapping against the metallic surface.

''Weeelll, I'm sure there's plenty to do, maybe we can go exploring. She may be my ship but I'm pretty sure there are lots of rooms I haven't been in...''

He paused and his expression twisted into one of pure excitement, Rose jumped as a laugh burst from his mouth and he clapped his hands together.

''We could play hide and seek!''

Rose raised her eyebrows.

''I think we may have already done that Doctor, you know, when you decided to scare me out of my mind with your stupid,'' She wiggled her fingers about for emphasis, ''impersonation.''

The Doctor pouted.

''Oh come on Rose, it'll be fun! No scary hands or impersonations, I promise!''.

Rose sighed and pulled her hands out of her pockets to play with the belt that held the robe closed. Try as she might, she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't right. Oh he was always brilliant fun, even when he had all his memories intact, but he was never prone to suggestions that involved hiding in the TARDIS...he never needed to suggest it because it just somehow happened all by itself. A frown creased her brow as she felt a sudden surge of guilt; these feelings that had occurred over the course of the previous day had all taken place after he had changed, which made it wrong.

So very wrong.

Surely, if she were to ever feel these emotions, which she had always hoped she wouldn't, wasn't it supposed to be when he actually had a clue as to whom he was, and who she really was? Images of him emerging from a shower or actions such as snuggling up in her bed should only happen when he was himself, perhaps not even then.

And yet here she was, undeniably lusting over and craving the attention of him, and that mixed in with her concern and sorrow over the recent events caused her to feel nothing short of terrible, as though she was being pulled in several different directions at once.

She was treading on dangerous ground, and she was so very aware of it, and what scared her was that she didn't mind as much as she probably should. But what scared her even more, and filled her mind with concern and confusion was that, despite the fact that he wasn't himself, the Doctor didn't seem to mind either.

Rose started as a hand gently touched her shoulder and she raised her head to find the Doctor staring down at her.

''Are you alright? I may be a bit away with the fairies but I know that I can be a bit tactless with my words, did I say something wrong?''

Rose chewed her bottom lip for a moment as she looked back into his eyes; eyes that held so much history and so much emotion that she felt shivers dance down her spine as she held his gaze for a moment, drowning in the comfort that she always found whenever their eyes met in any situation, no matter how bad or hopeless things seemed.

Like now.

She shook her head gently and the Doctor smiled as several light curls that had appeared in her hair overnight brushed against her cheeks. She released a breath before smiling at him.

''Hide and seek sounds like a great idea''.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed! Please keep the lovely reviews coming!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Hey guys! I apologize that it has taken me so long to update, I've been quite busy with being back at college and the likes, and my god does second year suck! So much work! And plus, I struggled a bit with this chapter, it's sort of a filler part before things start getting more...intense, shall we say! Anyway I hope it satisfies and compensates for my absence, and I promise that I will try to get the next chapter up soon, hopefully sometime in the next few days!_

* * *

''So, who's counting?''

The Doctor raised his gaze from their observation of his tattered shoes to look at Rose as she leant against the console beside him, a playful smirk twisting her lips. The Doctor breathed deeply and instantly regretted it as the scent of her shampoo invaded his senses; a mix of coconut and fruit. Combined with her natural aroma, she smelt absolutely delicious, so delectable that the Doctor wondered what she would actually taste like, if he just-

''Don't''.

He blinked in confusion.

''Don't what?''

''You've got that look on your face''.

''What look?''

''The look you get before you lick something. You and that bloody oral fixation of yours, I'll never understand it''.

He frowned. Oral fixation? He actually went around licking things? Maybe that would explain why he felt the sudden need to devour Rose, maybe it was just a normal thing.

Although, somehow he imagined he was the only one who did that sort of thing.

''Anyway, are you counting or am I?''.

Rose nudged him gently in order to gain his attention.

''Well...maybe you should, seeing as you know your way around better than I do''.

''Doctor, I know as much as you do. You've travelled in this ship longer than I have and even you've never seen every room. Perhaps you should count, give you a chance to reacquaint yourself''.

The Doctor smiled before stretching his arms out in front of himself, flexing his fingers as he stood.

''Fine, I'll count. You know this could be the longest game of hide and seek in the history of the universe''.

Rose smiled. ''Now, I'm sure that's not true''.

''No, you're right,'' He scratched the chin with the tip of his index finger.

''I am?''

''Oh yes. I took part in a lengthy game once, after I had made a comfortable landing on Sackaborow and introduced myself to the natives; they asked me to participate in a game of hide and seek and of course I had to agree, otherwise they might have cursed me with their magic''.

Rose giggled. ''They would have cursed you if you didn't play with them? They sound like a bunch of five year olds!''

The Doctor chuckled.

''Yes well, five year olds on Earth tend to throw things at each other, the inhabitants of Sackaborow cast spells. Anyway, like I was saying; I agreed to play and the next thing I know, everyone is handed these little canvas bags full of strange looking food and jars of green liquid! But before I could question this, the leader, Mr Trofmoc, made a random selection out of the large crowd and told everyone else to run and hide, so naturally we all took off running''.

''Something you're very good at then, you should have had the advantage''.

''Oh, I did. I outran all of them for a good while before hiding in between these two thick tree trunks that were covered in giant purple flowers, it was the perfect location''.

Rose frowned. ''So, how did this result in a really long game?''

''They had given us these bags of food and drink to keep us from going hungry just in case we weren't found straight away, and I consumed it all within the space of an hour because I was starving. Turns out, the food was meant to last for a week and this particular game carried on for two weeks''.

''Two weeks?!'' Rose cried, ''Doctor, surely you could have just given up and left!''

He shook his head. ''Not as simple as that. If I had been spotted making an attempt to leave...well, let's just say, it would have been bad, very bad''.

Rose rolled her eyes. ''So you just...''

The Doctor looked up as she stopped mid sentence, and found her staring at him in shock.

''Doctor...you just...you just recalled a complete memory!''

The expression on his face grew into one of absolute joy, which Rose mirrored as they seized hold of each other in excitement and spun in circles, laughing loudly and shrieking incoherently like a pair of drunken teenagers as they danced around each other.

''I can't believe it! You did it, without even any help or anythin'!''

Rose's grin faltered as they ceased movement and the Doctor frowned at his feet.

''Doctor?''

''It's just...the memory didn't involve you...so...it doesn't seem to be as important. Well, of course it's important because all of it is but...oh you know what I mean!''

Rose blinked before placing a hand against his cheek; he lifted his eyes and looked at her sadly.

''Doctor...you had a life before you knew me, and it's just as brilliant to remember that as it is to remember our time together, so you should be happy, 'cos I am! It'll be okay, eventually. Everything will come back to you, and it'll be like none of it ever left your mind, okay?''

He smiled slightly at her as she trailed her hand from his to his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. He knew that the last part of what she said was spoken half heartedly; she was just as unsure of the future as he was. For all they knew, there could be a limit to what he could recall, what if stopped right here? Although he didn't know what things had been like before he had forgotten, he could make a pretty good guess from what Rose had told him that they hadn't been like this.

But of course, that meant that the level of closeness that had risen between them hadn't existed before, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to give that up, no matter how much he wanted to have his memories back. The very idea alone that he was missing out on previous adventures and journeys with Rose inside his head was horrible enough, but the fact that he was truly experiencing it was filling him with a strange sort of pain, a feeling of great loss that was becoming too much to take.

''Look on the bright side, you've managed to obtain quite a few memories from my dream and from my stories last night, so we're one step closer''.

The Doctor swept Rose into a gentle embrace; he admired her so much, even in the face of despair and lack of hope and faith she was still trying to keep his spirits up, even when she couldn't lift her own.

He squeezed her softly before holding her at arm's length.

''C'mon! This is our day of fun and from this very moment, there will be no sad faces or any lack of smiling, understood?''

Rose grinned brightly before tapping two fingers against her forehead in a salute. ''Yes Sir!''

He chuckled softly and a gleeful expression appeared on his face.

''This is gonna be a fun day, I promise!''

Rose giggled and squeezed his hands. ''Oh yes, causing madness in the TARDIS no doubt, definitely fun!''

''Madness...I like Madness!''

''Well of course you do, seeing as you usually are the source of it!''

''No I mean...well yes I do but I meant the band''.

Her eyes lit up. ''Yup, you sure do''.

* * *

Rose and the Doctor now stood in a crossroad of hallways and decided which direction the Doctor should face so he could count while Rose ran and hid away. They had decided to take the game further into the depths of the TARDIS to make it more interesting, and on their walkabouts to find the best location they had stumbled upon some surprising secrets; a wrong turn had caused the Doctor to open a cupboard to reveal a strange looking alien with purple skin and horns sat amongst several large stacks of paper. The Doctor, instead of jumping in shock like Rose had, simply smiled brightly at the creature and gave a happy greeting of 'Mornin' Meredith! You're looking lovely today, so sorry to disturb you!' before closing the door. Rose had hurried after him and demanded an explanation, to which he had replied; 'Oh, that's just Meredith! She's my...secretary if you will, keeps things up to date for me!'

This explanation had of course, been too vague for Rose and she prodded him for more information, because it wasn't as though he lived in a house and had to pay bills or that he had any real identity that a person could use to chase him for a television licence, so what on earth could he possibly need a secretary for? 'I don't mean that kind of secretary you strange human, she's writing my life story for me which of course, needs to be kept up to date!'

Rose, baffled at the very idea that an attempt could even be made to write his life story, simply dropped the questions and continued to follow him down the halls. A slight stumble and the Doctor had fallen into Rose, pressing her into a wall which had hummed briefly before it spun round and took them into a dark room with several lit candles floating in the air. They had stood in silence for a brief moment before the Doctor had given a murmur of recognition and clapped his hands, which had caused the candles to vanish and a burst of light had filled the room, displaying it as a magnificent ballroom. Rose had gazed around in amazement while the Doctor ambled around with a smile on his face which had quickly turned into a manic grin as a giant black creature had hurtled into him, and licked his face enthusiastically. Rose scolded him for not ever telling her that he kept a dog, with no nose, upon the TARDIS before becoming acquainted with 'Rufus'.

The two companions, and Rufus, had carried on their stroll until they had reached a section of the TARDIS that seemed to suit their requirements to play the game. Rose studied both hallways which led left or right before turning to the Doctor.

''Okay, I'll go left so you can face the right and count, and no peeking!''

The Doctor scoffed. ''Wouldn't matter if I did peek, I wouldn't be able to tell where you had gone cos that corridor seems to stretch on forever, and plus have you seen the amount of doors down there?!''

Rose glanced to her left again and noticed the large selection of doors that decorated each side of the corridor, before turning back to the Doctor with a grin.

''Well I'm sure it'll make your task of finding us that bit more fun!''

''Us?''

''Yeah, me and Rufus''.

The Doctor glanced down at the dog, who stared back up at him with a large pair of bright green eyes before giving a wag of his giant fluffy tail.

''Well he shouldn't be hard to find, he's as big as a bear and as fluffy as your slippers, he'll probably leave a trail of hair to follow''.

Rufus gave an insulted bark before nuzzling up to Rose, who patted his big head before frowning at the Doctor.

''Don't insult him! And besides, I had no idea he was even on board until today, so I'm pretty sure he'll be able to hide from you pretty well. Now, turn around and count to a hundred, and remember, no looking!''

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her before covering his eyes and turning to face the right corridor.

''One...two...three...four...''

Satisfied that he wasn't going to cheat, Rose motioned for Rufus to follow her and ran down the left hall, glancing at each door that they passed in an effort to choose a location. The corridor seemed to stretch on forever and they passed countless doors before Rufus ran ahead and stopped next to a door that seemed to stand out from the rest; it was a deep mahogany brown and had an intricate gold pattern carved around the edges.

''Seventy eight...seventy nine...eighty...''

The distant voice of the Doctor floated down to where she stood and she glanced around quickly to check for another suitable hiding place to use in the limited time she had, but seeing nothing but more doors and the endless hall, she seized hold of the door handle, pushed it open and ushered Rufus inside before darting forward and closing the door behind her.

''There now, c'mon boy, let's hide behind something in...case...he...''

Rose stopped and Rufus looked up at the young woman's face before turning his eyes to follow her stare, and the hackles flew up on his large back and his exceptionally big teeth appeared in a low snarl. Rose patted his fur absent-mindedly and fought back the tears that began to swim in her eyes as a wave of sadness, and deep burning anger coursed through her body as she continued to stare straight ahead, barely able to believe her eyes.

Somewhere down the hall, the Doctor spun around and removed his hands from his eyes. He grinned manically and flexed his fingers as he headed forward.

''Ready or not, here I come!''

* * *

_Bit of a cliffie for ya! I apologize for any possible spelling errors or typing mistakes, I stayed up till half past four in the morning finishing it so, it may be a bit shoddy so I hope you can forgive me, and I hope you enjoyed! Please keep the reviews coming, I like knowing what you all think! xxx_


	14. Chapter 14

_Hey guys! Once again my deepest apologies for the delay, my laptop died and I had to take it to be fixed, and then had to wait for all my files to be retrieved and it was all just very messy stuff. Unfortunately my latest chapters could not be saved so I've had to spend my spare time, which I don't have a lot of unfortunately, trying to rewrite them so forgive me for any future delays in updating!_

_Anyway, welcome to chapter fourteen! Just before you begin reading, I have changed events and other such aspects to fit into my story so don't get confused and think I've done it by mistake or something, it's meant to be that way! Ooo yeah and prepare for some character bashing also, cos i'm evil like that ahaha! enjoy!_

* * *

The Doctor tiptoed down the corridor, grinning like an excited child as the tips of his shoes squeaked gently against the floor. He was quite the sight; with his arms raised up to his shoulders with his fingers spread out, as though he was about to jump out and scare someone, and his knees raising high with each exaggerated step he took. The TARDIS gave a low hum which he could only determine was the equivalent of her rolling her nonexistent eyes at him, and he replied with an undignified display of his tongue. Aside from the usual rumble and growl from beneath his feet, it was quiet all around him. He listened intently as he passed each door, trying to detect any slight sound or hint that Rose could be somewhere behind a certain door. His disappointment grew as he crept along, hearing no muffled barking or any kind of movement at all. He threw open a few doors for good measure, and only growled in frustration as he moved along still unrewarded.

''Rose? Rose, can you give me a sign or something so I can at least find the right door! Otherwise we really will be here all day!''

He held his breath as he listened for a response; he expected to hear her cheeky giggle or an attempt to hush a bark from Rufus, but his hopes were dashed as his ears were only met with a soft hum from the TARDIS.

'_**You know where she is, don't you?'**_

'_Of course, but I am not going to tell you'._

'_**I honestly think you two are ganging up on me...'**_

'_Oh Doctor, you have no idea'._

'_**I'll let you both pick on me as much as you like if you will just be so kind as to tell me where she is! I can't stand the idea of running around all day while she's sat in some room with a beast without a nose wondering why I haven't found her yet!'**_

'_On the contrary Doctor, I believe she will be enjoying herself with said beast and simply laughing at the fact that she outsmarted a man who is supposed to be in possession of a higher intelligence than herself'._

He rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration while the TARDIS hummed cheerfully.

'_**Please?'**_

'_Look for a door with gold markings'._

Satisfied with the clue The Doctor proceeded down the corridor, his dark eyes scanning each door with an intense purpose as he searched for Rose. He couldn't help but admire her stealth; for he heard no sound that may betray her before he even found the correct door, and his senses seemed to be quite delicate, and yet he heard nothing. He hurried along until he spotted the door that the TARDIS has described; a deep brown door decorated with a golden pattern. A proud grin stretched across his face as he pressed the tips of his fingers against the handle and held his breath as he slowly eased it down before pushing the door open. He leapt into the room and spread his arms out proudly to display his arrival.

''Ha! Found you!''

His achievement was not satisfactory however as he was not met with a cry of mock outrage and yells of praise for his hide and seek skills, but with the sight of Rose sitting upon the floor, her back pressed against a stack of wooden boxes and a small golden telescope clenched between her fingers upon her lap. Rufus lay beside her, his giant head resting upon his even bigger paws as he gazed up at Rose with a look of sorrow. However, as the Doctor edged further into the room, the beast raised his head and fixed the Doctor with a deadly gaze that caused him to stop in his tracks.

''Rose?''

She didn't reply at first, nor did she even turn her head to look at him. Instead she patted Rufus several times on the back in order to calm him before rising to her feet, her back turned to the Doctor. He blinked in confusion and felt his chest constrict, as though bracing for a blow that he knew was about to come. Her hand reached out and lowered the telescope onto the top of the pile of boxes very slowly before she turned her head to look at him. Her face was pale, and yet there was no mistaking the glint of rage that flickered behind her eyes.

''Did you expect to keep this secret forever?''

He frowned; this definitely wasn't a good question to ask someone who only had half of their memories.

''What secret?''

Rose glowered at him before turning her head to face the wall in front of her, he followed her gaze and felt his chest become even tighter as his eyes rested on a portrait; a portrait of a woman, a French woman.

Madame de Pompadour.

He sighed wearily and rubbed a hand down his face as Rose faced him once again.

''Well? What is this doing here? Better question actually; why is it hidden in some room as though it's some dirty little secret?''

He peered at her through the gaps between his fingers and let out a heavy breath before leaning against a tower of crates that sat beside him.

''She...When we were separated, when you and Mickey were attached to those metal tables and the...Clockwork Droids had captured you, and I was...at that party with Reinette...''

He knew he should stop talking right there, for Rose was staring at him so intently that he was sure she would kill him with her bare hands, and yet he carried on.

''Well, during the festivities, she took me to a portrait room which was full of paintings of all shapes and sizes, of monarchs and kings and queens from past ages, and there was a portrait of her...and she gave it to me as a gift, stating that there were many more and that she could part with one if it meant that I wouldn't forget what she looked like...''

He took a deep shaky breath and gripped the edge of the box that he was perched on tightly with his damp fingers.

''And...I brought it back to the TARDIS and decided to place it here before coming to rescue you and Mickey''.

Rose stepped forward and pushed her hair behind her ears as though she hadn't heard him properly, and the Doctor could feel pure fear course through him as he met her blazing gaze of anger.

''Let me get this straight Doctor...not only were you partyin' with a bunch of ancient French aristocrats while me and Mickey were staring death straight in the face, you were smuggling a picture of that..._woman _into the TARDIS? Into our home? That was what you were doing while Mickey and I were about to be decapitated or god knows what else by some clockwork humanoid?!''

He flinched at the harsh pitch of her voice as her emotions got the better of her. He glanced at Rufus who gave a low growl before disappearing underneath a large crate in order to escape the looming argument.

''I wasn't smuggling, I just...brought it into this room cos...It just came into my head at the time, I guess''.

''Oh really? So, why not tell me about it after we had left?''

He shifted uncomfortably and started at his trainers, trying to count the array of scuff marks in order to avoid answering her question.

''Doctor!''

''Because I was sad, okay? I came back to take her with us for a trip and...She had died while waiting for me to come back for her, and I felt so guilty...I just wanted it to be kept a secret...my secret...''

Oh how he should stop talking. A look of pure betrayal appeared on Rose's face as the words tumbled out of his mouth. If he could, he would simply leap into her mind again and snatch the words right back so it would be that she had never heard them. Of course, it was too late for that.

''Oh I see...you meet this woman twice and yet she claims to have known you for her whole life and the second that she fades away, it's the greatest sorrow to ever befall you, and yet here's me wondering why I feel so foolish each time something tragic happens to every other person we come across because you never seem to bat an eyelid! I thought it was because you were so used to it, so used to losing people that you could never let your emotions become too involved, but it seems I was wrong cos you meet this one woman and suddenly the rules are changed just for that one person!''

He frowned. ''That isn't fair...There aren't rules at all Rose, I can't decide how events will happen or if a death of a person will affect me or who I fall for and-''

''Fall for?''

Oh, sweet Rassilon why did he have to keep talking?!

He ran his fingers through his hair rapidly, causing it to adopt a fluffy texture as he peered at Rose, who was now staring at him in disbelief.

No, it was more than disbelief.

It was a look of pain and shock, the type of look that can make even the toughest of men crumble to his knees, and the Doctor could definitely feel his own knees trembling beneath him.

''You...fell for her?''

''No! I didn't mean her specifically, I was talking in general''.

''Well it didn't seem like it!''

For some reason, he could feel his own anger rising up inside of his chest and burning his throat as he resisted the urge to shout back at her.

''Rose, you really are reading into this too much! I can't even remember-''

''Oh, don't you even throw that one in my face, don't you dare try and use the fact that you can't remember everything as an excuse, or as a way to justify your little sordid affair with that...oh, that _woman!''_

''Reinette''.

''What?!''

Big mistake.

''Oh, well I'm glad the two of you were on first name basis! I suppose you finally found the person you could divulge your real name to, to someone you barely knew instead of a person who has surfed the skies with you!''

''I didn't tell her''.

Rose gave a short, sarcastic laugh that sounded alien to the Doctor as it left her bitten lips.

''Of course you didn't and I'll bet she didn't tell you that she loved you either''.

She had meant it as a joke, as a cruel dig at him but as his gaze withdrew from her face and met the floor, realization dawned on her and her dark eyes widened in despair.

''She told you that she loved you?!''

The hitch in her voice stirred an emotion inside him, he desperately wanted to reach out and hold her close to him but he knew that he would be met with nothing but hostility.

''Doctor!''

He sighed wearily, knowing that no matter how he said it or what he said would doom him anyway.

''Yes...she left me a letter and...yes she told me''.

A silence descended upon them, even Rufus who could be heard growling from underneath the boxes became quiet as the two companions looked at each other. A red hue decorated the top of Rose's cheeks as her face creased into an expression of confusion and unmistakeable anger, and a sad light flashed in the Doctor's eyes as he fought with himself inside his head in an attempt to find a way to make this whole thing better again, but even he knew that this was something that words could not fix.

''Did...'' She stopped as her voice caught in her throat briefly before taking a deep breath. ''Did you love her?''

''No! I just...We had a bond, an understanding-''

''Oh! An understanding!'' Rose exploded, her eyes wild with rage as she spun around to face him. ''Well more fool me for even thinking that I could ever understand you, that I could ever reach out and share a bond with you like that!''

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak but Rose continued to shout at the top of her voice.

''Poor me for even thinking that I could even compete with some snooty upper class floozy who fancied herself so greatly that she thought she could simply snatch up whatever she wanted whenever she wanted, and what she wanted was you, Doctor! And oh look, she definitely got what she wanted!''

He could only stare at her as she tugged at her hair in fury before seizing hold of the telescope that had rested on the box beside her and threw it at him. He only managed to swerve his head to the right slightly as it sailed past his ear and crashed into the wall. Rufus poked his head out from underneath the crate and glared at the Doctor; his dark fur stood on end as he sounded a menacing growl. The Doctor didn't blame him, not only did the poor beast have no nose but he had been kept in the same room for god knows how long without as much as a visit until now, he was surprised that the hound hadn't decided to chew one of his legs off just to get a bit of revenge.

He raised his gaze to Rose who was breathing heavily and scowling at him through the mess of blonde hair that had covered her face in her turn of rage. His hearts leapt into his throat at the sudden appearance of tears shimmering in her dark eyes, and the sensation of guilt became so strong he was sure he would explode from it.

''Rose...I don't know what to say...''

''You've said enough! Even before we started this stupid trip I've wondered why you never spoke about how you felt after we were separated on that bloody beach, or how you felt when I finally managed to find my way back to you, but I didn't want to ask because I know you well enough to know that you don't answer questions like that apart from your ridiculous phrase of 'I'm always fine!' And then you lose your bloody memory but you manage to remember your little aristocratic harlot but you don't remember Bad Wolf Bay or what happened to us!''

His head was whirling as the name of the beach sung through his mind, stirring unfamiliar feelings and sensations inside him as he struggled to remember.

''Rose...''

She gave a small sob before pushing her hair back from her face in a furious sweep of her hands.

''I think it's easy to see where your heart lies Doctor, so you better learn how to fly this ship again or something because I'm going home!''

Before he even had time to think of how to react, his legs has carried him into the centre of the room and he found himself blocking her way with his fingers hanging on tightly to her shoulders as she struggled in his grip.

''Rose!'' He shouted above the loud barking as Rufus butted at his legs.

''Get off me!''

She twisted and turned and even attempted to bite him but he held on with his fingertips before seizing hold of her arms and pulling her so close to him that her feet left the ground.

''I'm sorry! I never meant to hurt you, or upset you or do anything idiotic that would upset you!''

''That's just your problem Doctor,'' She snarled as her teary gaze clashed with his desperate one. ''You never do anything that could possibly mean something, ever!''

Her words screamed inside his head and a wave of anger, determination and care for the girl in his arms swarmed over him so quickly he felt as though he was burning. His body seemed to respond before his idiotic mind could as suddenly, his head tilted forward and his arms pulled Rose even closer until his lips crashed against hers in a warm and fiery kiss.

* * *

_Ooo aren't I mean! In case you were all wondering, I can't stand Reinette, I thought the whole thing with her and the Doctor kissing and whatnot was just...blah! Noo, Rose and the Doctor forever! oh and excuse any typos or mistakes, I don't have beta reader and I was in a slight rush to get this up cos I know how it feels when following a story that hasn't been updated for a while._

_Please keep the reviews coming, and to those who have added me to their story alerts thank you very much but please leave reviews too so I know what you think!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Hey guys! So sorry it's been such a long time since I updated, I have been and still am swamped with coursework so I can't say when the next chapter will be up but rest assured I am working on it and this story will be finished! I promise, although not for a few chapters yet at least hehe! Anyway, I don't really like this chapter myself, but it was just one of those things that had to be done to help carry the story along, so do forgive me if it is terrible, the next few will hopefully be a lot better!_

* * *

She was on fire; she could feel the blazing heat coursing through every fibre of her being as his lips moved against hers, soft and gentle and yet she could feel the desperation and yearning behind the kiss. She shivered as his fingers slid delicately along her cheeks and into her hair, and her arms rose up on their own accord and wrapped around his neck, bringing him close and deepening the kiss.

It was bliss, it was wonderful, it was...

It wasn't him.

Rose tore out of his arms so fast that he stumbled forward and staggered into a large object covered with a dirty sheet before giving her a look of utter bewilderment.

''What are-''

''This isn't right!''

Rose pushed her hands against her face in an attempt to cover her embarrassment and confusion as she met his bemused and slightly hurt stare. He moved towards her and the uneasy smile that had been lingering on his thoroughly kissed lips disappeared as she stepped backwards.

''What are you talking about?!''

Rose felt her temper flare as tears shot into her eyes, she was angry at him and she didn't even fully understand why.

''It's just...you're not you!''

He raised an eyebrow at her and tried to ignore Rufus who was curiously sniffing his left leg.

''Of course I'm me! Who else would I be?''

Rose quickly brushed away the tears that had made a dash for freedom against her will and forced a small sob into the back of her throat.

''You're just...someone inside the body of the Doctor, somebody I don't know! And you won't be somebody I know until you remember everything!''

''But Rose-

''This wouldn't even have happened if you were really you! The true Doctor would never hold me while I slept, never sit and do something so domestic as eat breakfast with me at an actual breakfast table...never...never kiss me!''

Before he even had a chance to respond, Rose bolted past him and flew out of the door and left nothing but her fading footsteps in her wake. The Doctor started blankly at the door for a few moments before casting a glance at Rufus who still remained by his side, looking at him with eyes full of pity for the lonely man. He sighed before scratching Rufus lightly behind the ears.

''I don't understand...maybe I should go after her...''

Before he could even put one foot forward, Rufus gave a low snort and leapt in front of him, blocking his way to the door completely and gave a slight shake of his big head.

''Bad idea?'' The Doctor inquired, cocking his head to one side as he regarded the beast.

Rufus batted the crown of his head against the front of the Doctor's leg in an attempt to force him further back into the room, determined to keep him from leaving. The Doctor complied and slid to the floor with his back pressed hard against a crate, his feet stuck out awkwardly in front of him. Rufus seemed satisfied that the Doctor wasn't going to make a dash for the door and settled himself on the floor, resting his head upon the Doctor's thigh.

''Oh, what am I supposed to do?!''

The Doctor jammed his fingers into his hair and stared intently at the floor between his legs as he racked his brain furiously.

''How am I supposed to fix everything if I don't even know who the 'real me' is? Who I am right now certainly isn't good enough for Rose to want to be near me...''

He lifted his head and glanced at the portrait that hung on the wall; Madame de Pompadour's soft smile suddenly seemed terribly smug to him, as though she had witnessed the recent events and had taken great pleasure in the consequences. With a growl, the Doctor leapt to his feet, much to the displeasure of Rufus who gave an irritated bark, and stalked over to the portrait, glaring at the woman who resided within the frame.

''I'm a stupid fool...should have seen this coming all along...I should have taken notice of what was right in front of me, instead of being swept up in some ridiculous fantasy!''

He seized the portrait on either side and wrenched it away from the wall, dragging away chunks of paint with it and threw it to the side of the room where it landed with a forceful crash. He sucked in a deep breath before sliding to the floor once again, his face buried deep in his hands.

* * *

The gentle hum of the TARDIS became the only noise to fill the rooms, corridors and secret annexes throughout the day as neither the Doctor nor Rose made an appearance. Outside the TARDIS, the colours of time and space swirled and changed from light to dark and inside her bedroom, Rose cracked open a sore eye as she awoke from a restless sleep. After the confrontation with the Doctor, she had stumbled towards her room and collapsed onto her bed, and sobbed hysterically for what felt like hours, and in doing so she had cried herself to sleep.

''Ohh...'', Rose groaned and flinched as her fingers rubbed the red skin of her eyes. She sat up and held her head with one hand as a pounding ache spread through her skull. She sighed heavily and scrunched her face up in an attempt to try and force the pain away as she shuffled over to her mirror. Her face was red and patchy, her makeup had dribbled down her cheeks in black streaks and her blonde hair stuck up in several directions as though she had suffered an electric shock.

''Oh, so attractive...'', She sneered at her reflection before reaching for the needed tools to rectify the situation; mainly a hairbrush and makeup remover. Several minutes later, a fresher reflection looked back at her, although with the lack of 'war paint' as the Doctor liked to call it, the dark rings under her eyes were more evident. Still, she knew from all her experiences with the Doctor that she couldn't hide forever, which meant that right now seeing as he hadn't come looking for her, she would go looking for him.

''And give him a piece of my mind...'', She growled as she started her search.

After several wrong turns, a close encounter with the gigantic bath in one of the many bathrooms, and a lot of echoed shouts throughout the TARDIS, Rose eventually found the Doctor and was stunned to discover that he was fast asleep. She had found herself in the doorway of the most magnificent library she had ever seen; the walls were lined with thousands and thousands of books that stood on shelves that reached the high ceiling. A tall ladder hung on a pair of hinges that were attached to a long rail which followed the bookcases around the room, and Rose wondered how the simple ladder could even reach the books that touched the domed ceiling. Her eyes scanned over the large plush sofas and chairs that lined the floor, along with the marble fireplace crafted deep into a patch of wall, and then her gaze landed on a figure slumped over a wooden desk. Rose wandered silently over until she hovered above him, staring at his sleeping figure. His hair stuck out in a much more frenzied manner than usual, his glasses hung haphazardly from one ear and his cheek puffed around his eye from where his face was pressed against an open book upon the table. His lips were puckered and he snored softly as he inhaled deeply, causing the tips of the pages to ruffle gently. All thoughts of shouting and screaming at the Doctor escaped Rose's mind as she watched him; she couldn't even remember the last time she had seen him asleep bar last night when he had been next to her, and it was a strange and oddly comforting thing to see. She reached out a hand and gently pressed it against his shoulder.

''Doctor...Doctor, wake up''.

He stirred and wrinkled his nose as he rubbed his head slightly against the book before opening his eyes, focusing them on Rose for several seconds before sitting up abruptly which caused his glasses to fall to the floor with a soft clatter.

''Rose! I was...I was just...um...well I was reading, or trying to at least and I just kind of...fell asleep, really have no idea why I'm so tired recently''.

''I guess this whole ordeal is tiring us both out a little bit, cos I fell asleep too''.

''You did? Are you okay? Your eyes look really...are you not wearing makeup?!''

Rose blushed and removed the hand which had been lingering gently on his shoulder.

''Do I look that repulsive?''

''No! Of course not, I just can't remember the last time your eyes looked so...'' He waved his hand around as he tried to pluck the right word before he smiled gently, ''So much like chocolate''.

It was a strange compliment, but yet it suited him perfectly and Rose felt a smile appear on her face. He reached for her hand and squeezed it softly, his eyes looking into her face earnestly.

''I'm sorry, I really am so sorry...for everything that's happening, and for the portrait and-''

He peered indignantly at the finger Rose had pressed to his lips before fixing her with an expectant stare.

''It's okay, you don't need to explain. I'm sorry too; I shouldn't have said what I did...It's just...I try to be like you and try to be a forgiving and understanding person...or at least understand the fact that while you make mistakes, it's never to deliberately hurt me. It's just...I want to be mad at you, I really do but somehow, I know that being mad at you won't change anything and it just won't make me feel any better about what happened...and I was wrong...I really am sorry for what I said...I honestly didn't mean it''.

The Doctor stood and looked down at her as he brushed away several tears from her cheek before he took her other hand away from his mouth and entwined his fingers with hers.

''You really are...just...wonderful Rose, but don't be sorry. I really should have told you a long time ago about the picture...but you have to believe me about Reinette, it was nothing...never was and never will be''.

He smiled widely at her and Rose felt herself grin back, despite the notion in her head that she had possibly overreacted to the portrait of the French woman she couldn't help the sensation of joy that filled her at his words.

''And don't worry about what you said, you're right and I'm going to fix it, I promise''.

Rose shook her head.

''No...well I mean of course, we need to fix this but...I didn't mean it when I said that you were just some person inside the Doctor's body, I know it's you''.

''How can you be so sure, after all of this?''

She smiled.

''You have that unmistakable gleam in your eye that's so familiar that I could never doubt who you are''.

The Doctor's brow creased in thought before he chuckled deeply.

''Isn't that similar to a line from that film you made me watch a while ago...Sleeping Beauty?''

Rose laughed.

''You can remember watching a classic film like that once and yet you have trouble remembering other parts of real life? You're mad you are!''

He grinned and squeezed her hands, ''Weeell, you know what a fan I am of those films, and especially the music as you found out on Christmas Day! And you were always singing that song too whenever I walked past the bathroom door and you were taking a shower...strange thing that, never understood why you humans need to stretch your vocal chords when standing under a stream of hot water...''.

Rose waited patiently as he pondered on this for a second before returning his attention to her.

''What is that song anyway?''

''It's called Once upon a dream, and just for the record, I've caught you singing it a fair few times when you thought I wasn't around''.

Her tongue poked out from beneath her teeth as her grin grew wider, and the Doctor blinked in astonishment.

''Really? Doesn't seem like the kind of song I would sing by choice, from what I can remember of it...''

''Well I suppose you couldn't just be a simple guy who only liked Madness and danced to it around the TARDIS with no shame whatsoever, could you?''

He grinned.

''Sounds like fun, will you show me later?''

''We have plenty of time to get reacquainted with your taste in music Doctor, don't worry''.

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face deep into the soft crook of his neck as his arms wound around her waist and pulled her snugly against him. The embrace was so warm, so gentle and so typical that Rose could almost kid herself that it was just a normal hug, one that they would usually share after being reunited after a long escapade on a strange planet or just before saying goodbye for a few hours. A content sigh escaped her lips and she nuzzled the side of his head with hers, and smiled when he did the same, and they remained that way, locked in each other's arms for what seemed like hours.

''Rose?''

''Mm?''

She tilted back to look at him, and he gave her a timid smile as he gently cupped the back of her head in his hand.

''Tell me about Bad Wolf Bay''.

* * *

_Well another chapter down, who knows how many more to go! Anyway, hope it wasn't too terrible, and thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, keep it up and let me know what you think, or of any ideas you might have or anything like that, 'tis always good to hear from you._


	16. Chapter 16

_Hello again! Bit of a lengthy note from me, but it's relevant so forigve me and please read this before reading the actual thing! As much as I love writing this fiction I am starting to worry about the lack of reviews at the moment. I don't know if this means that people are just reading and not reviewing or just simply aren't reading at all so, if you are reading please leave some kind of comment cos not only does it encourage me, but it lets me know that you're enjoying/hating it! so please!_

_Also, within regards to my plot, I have adopted my own views/ideas of what happened after Bad Wolf Bay and after the reunion and events in Journey's End and some of my ideas and/or theories may seem weak or slightly ridiculous but hey, it's fanfiction so I can do whatever I like :P haha no seriously, it was essential to change the basics to make the story flow and create other leads for the relationship between the Doctor and Rose and to give the story more depth so, I'm sorry if you don't like it or think it's a bit flimsy like I do but it had to be done, but hopefully you will like it! Anyway, on you go!_

* * *

He wondered if he had made a mistake asking such a question as Rose flinched in his embrace, and tucked her head back into his neck. Her arms squeezed him tighter and he responded equally, almost lifting her off the ground. He felt her sobs before he heard them fly past his ear, her mouth vibrated against the delicate pulse point of his neck which sent a strange tingle down his spine.

''Rose, I'm sorry...I really am,'' He muttered as he pushed her away gently, only far enough so he could see her face, which was now streaked and flushed, ''But I just have to know''.

Rose nodded slowly and her lips puffed somewhat as she released a heavy sigh.

''Even though it happened, and we both knew that it happened, I never wanted to even think about it ever again, let alone talk about it,'' She said in an unsteady voice, her hands had now moved back into his and he vaguely noticed the biting sting of her nails digging into his palms.

''Rose...''

''No, it's okay,'' She snivelled and flashed him a weak smile. ''Although we might wanna go sit somewhere more comfortable, as this is going to be one long story''.

He squeezed her hands gently.

''I know just the place''.

He did indeed know the perfect place; the two friends lay side by side upon a bed inside the Doctor's room with their hands clasped tightly in the small space between their bodies. Rose had momentarily forgotten the reason for needing to find a comfortable place as she had entered the room she had wondered about for so long. It was simple and typical for the Doctor with light walls and a soft carpet, a gigantic bed covered with cushions sat in the middle which had struck her as odd seeing as he barely slept. The shelves of the bookcases that sat against the walls were full of dusty texts and strange objects from other worlds, and various other knickknacks littered parts of the room, such as a long striped scarf, an ancient pack of jelly babies and a celery stalk attached to a pin. They had settled on the bed and after several minutes of awkward tension they had rolled closer to one another and Rose had begun the tale of Bad Wolf Bay and the events which had followed.

The hours had passed as the words had spilled from Rose's lips, and the Doctor had fallen completely out of character and remained almost silent as she spoke, except for the occasional gasp and cry of outrage. He was the dutiful listener, as engaged as a child at story time that couldn't help but narrate along with a variety of facial expressions, and Rose would have found this funny, if it hadn't been for the situation they were in. She had delved into her soul and poured out every single detail of what had happened and now, despite her dry tongue and aching throat, had reached the point of the return to Bad Wolf Bay. She had tactfully left out the part of their conversation on the beach after the battle in Canary Warf where she had confessed her love for him, and simply said that she had told him something important and he hadn't responded fast enough to give her a response.

She knew she would be in trouble as soon as he remembered this for himself...

If he remembered.

''So, I stood between both of you, these two men who look completely the same except for the suits, and I ask you to tell me what you had meant to say the last time we stood on that beach. You looked at me and tried to squirm your way of out of saying whatever it was you had meant to say, and then the other Doctor leant forward in order to tell me what it was, but I stopped him. Even though he looked like you, was the same as you...he still wasn't you, cos you're...you...and I only wanted to hear those words, whatever they were, from your lips. And I refused to leave your side after you explained that although the parallel worlds were all in flux and everything had gone upside down and all of that, the only reason you had brought me back to that beach was because you thought I should stay with the other Doctor, and take care of him and live out my life with the version of you that would age along with me''.

She paused for a breather, and the Doctor smiled reassuringly at her despite the pounding of his hearts. It was surreal to hear the tale from her mouth as though it was only a story, but it was real, it had happened and he wanted to remember so he could feel the true emotions he was supposed to feel for it, instead of the feelings based on just hearing about it.

''I told you that despite the fact that it would be an easier life, not having to worry about so much, I didn't want that life, I didn't want a replica of you, I wanted the real you, even if it meant having to deal with tiny hiccups like me getting older and you staying the same...for most of the time anyway. Even though it meant leaving my mum, I asked you if we could come back and you promised we could, that you would somehow find a way, which you did and I never understood how. Then before you knew it I had beaten you through the door of the TARDIS''.

''Impatient little ape''.

Rose blinked happily in surprise at his familiar choice of words but carried on, determined to finish before she broke down.

''Of course, I came running back out to say goodbye to mum and then the four of us, me, you, Donna and the other Doctor left the beach just after Dad showed up with little Tony, and you were getting so flustered about the delay, but you did enjoy making a fuss out of Tony. I'm pretty sure you were contemplating on bringing him with us if mum hadn't been watching!''.

The Doctor chuckled softly.

''When we were flying through time and space, something happened to Donna...the knowledge in her head was killing her...so you had to wipe her memory...it was so horrible, she just...it was like she was malfunctioning and...Well, we took her home and I stood outside with the other Doctor as you explained to her family what had happened...you were gone for so long but when you came back outside with Wilfred and told the other Doctor that he was to stay with Donna. He looked so shocked bless him, but so happy at the same time, and I figured that he wouldn't trigger a memory that could kill her because even though he looked like you and everythin'...like I said, there's only really one you''.

Rose was shaking now, and the Doctor wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest lightly, just enough to offer comfort but still allow her to talk. She tilted her head back to look into his tender gaze.

''Wilfred agreed that it was a good idea because even though Donna would be back to the way she was before she had met you, he believed that the other version of you could do all of what you did for her all over again...if that makes sense. So...we said goodbye...and here we are...I just hope he and Donna are okay...''

The last few words escaped with a whisper and she burst into a fresh flood of tears, and the Doctor was surprised to find his own eyes brimming. He shuffled closer and pressed his face into her soft hair, deeply inhaling the fruity scent. He felt...sorrow, he felt anguish and heartache just like he was supposed to, but not in the true way that he should; instead of feeling it for the same reason that Rose did, he could only gain such emotion from the words and a strange tickling sensation in the back of his head and at the depths of his hearts that suggested it was something close, something familiar.

Something so real and so difficult that it had changed them both so much, and yet he couldn't even recall it for himself. All that remained from it all was a weeping Rose in his arms and the heaviness in his hearts.

He raised a hand and tilted Rose's head up by placing the tip of his index finger under her chin until her gaze became level with his. Desperation and unhappiness covered her face, her eyes bore into his and he suddenly noticed the gold flecks that danced amongst the delicate swirls of brown. Her lips trembled and a soft whimper escaped her throat as he regarded her with a gentle stare.

''Rose...I promise you, I will remember what happened for myself. I will remember everything that's ever been, not just for me, but for you aswell. I promise''.

''Doctor...''

''Shhh, don't say anything now. You've said more than you could even stand to tonight, and it's exhausted you''.

''I'm not tired,'' Her statement wasn't supported as her mouth expanded in a wide yawn. The Doctor smiled and cupped her cheek gently, stroking the skin with the pad of his thumb.

''Yes you are, it's been a long day and I, much as I hate to admit that I am anything less than brilliant, have been a bit of an idiot, and I reckon you deserve a long rest, even if it is just to escape my idiocy for a few hours''.

Rose giggled faintly and the Doctor grinned brightly at her before giving her an affectionate squeeze.

''Is there anything I can get you?''

''Some water would be nice, talking so much can hurt you know, I don't know how you do it so often''.

''Oi!'' He pouted playfully at her before shuffling off the bed to fetch a glass of water.

He padded silently through the TARDIS, although he doubted he would be able to hear his own footsteps due to all the questions that were whirling through his mind. Just as he didn't hear the recognizable groan of the TARDIS and jumped as a voice echoed in his head.

'_Quite the eventful day Doctor, you must be tired'._

'_**Blimey you nearly gave me a heart attack!'**_

'_Only one?'_

'_**Oh haha, don't get technical with me! I was preoccupied and forgot about your whole...invasive thing...'**_

'_I would hardly call it invasive Doctor, and besides, it wouldn't do good to disturb Rose now, so it's only polite to keep the noise confined'._

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he entered the kitchen and bent down slightly to open the fridge door. His hand automatically reached for the bunch of bananas that sat on the top shelf, but a harsh surge beneath his feet quickly directed his hand to the jug of water.

'_**Alright alright! I was only looking, that's all!'**_

'_You need to talk to her Doctor'._

He straightened up with the jug in his hand to give the room a sceptical look.

'_**She's been talking for the last...who knows how many hours; I think she could do with a break'.**_

'_Exactly. Rose has been talking for hours, I think it's about time that you reverted back to one of your most admirable and slightly annoying skills; talking, alot.'_

'_**You really are just one big barrel of compliments aren't you! Talk about what?**_

'_Don't act as if you don't know Doctor. Things are gradually being restored, but it can never be the same again due to what has passed between you and Rose recently. That doesn't mean that things will be terrible, but they could be if you don't fix the problems that are closer to your control'._

'_**What are you-'**_

'_Rose needs her water'._

He sighed and departed the kitchen, but couldn't help a wall an affectionate pat as the lights dimmed to a warm glow in his wake. The water tinkled gently within the glass jug as he walked briskly back to his room, determined to comply with what the TARDIS had suggested. He couldn't explain why he had tried to pretend that he had no idea what he needed to speak to Rose about; maybe it was due to his own fear, his own worries of what could come out of such a conversation.

A conversation that could potentially change everything between them forever, or completely destroy the unique relationship they shared.

And yet, would it be fair to bring up such a conversation now, when he wasn't even in his right mind? What if Rose had been right before; what if he really was somebody else for the time being and these feelings did not truly belong to the true Doctor?

His own questions remained unanswered as his feet suddenly struck something large and he stumbled clumsily, the jug of water barely within his grip as he fell against the wall with a thud.

''What the-Rufus!'

The large dog sat at his feet and gave an excited wag of his thick tail before nuzzling the Doctor's leg with the side of his head.

''I suppose you want to join us''.

Two hairy ears perked up at the statement and a soft bark resounded down the hall, causing the Doctor to frantically flap his free hand.

''Shhh! C'mon then, just keep it down, Rose needs some rest so don't you go disturbing her, 'cos you know she likes to make a fuss out of you''.

The Doctor frowned as Rufus' mouth seemed to curve into a shape that could resemble a grin before he trotted down the hall and darted into the Doctor's room.

''He better not leave hair all over my carpet...''

The Doctor readjusted his grip on the jug of water and continued down the corridor, but paused just before the door.

Should he say something? Anything to try and explain or even understand what had taken place before? Was it the right thing to do or was he simply acting on feelings that didn't belong to him?

But then again...Rose had responded to his actions despite the fact that it had caused her great upset, and even said herself that she had been wrong when she had suggested that he was just someone impersonating the Doctor, for lack of a better way of explaining things. Could it be...that she felt something too? Could she feel it too; the strange intoxicating desire to be close, the burning need to embrace and touch and hear...

He shook his head as the questions buzzed loudly inside his head. He knew he was clever, brilliant, _more_ than brilliant but that was no longer relevant. Rose didn't need him to be simply brilliant, she needed the truth, and she needed him to be honest, especially at a time like this.

He took a deep breath and stepped into his room, ''Rose, I...''.

He stopped as his eyes landed on a slumbering Rose tucked beneath his bed covers, and Rufus flopped next to her.

''Oi,'' Rufus turned his head and his great big tongue lolled out cheekily. ''That's my side, off!''

Rufus grumbled before standing up, only to move to the end of the bed where he settled upon the bump in the cover which appeared to be Rose's feet.

The Doctor crept over and set the jug of water on the small table that sat beside the bed, making sure that it was in reaching distance for Rose. He shuffled removing his jacket which he slung carelessly onto a small chair on the other side of the room. He slowly eased back the covers but stopped as he was met with the sight of Rose clad in one of his shirts and a pair of boxers that he couldn't believe he owned, due to the hideous spotted pattern. He knew he shouldn't stare, but the sight of her so peaceful with her eyes softly closed and her mouth parted as she breathed gently, and wearing one of his shirts was something of a shock to his brain. It wasn't until Rufus gave a judgmental bark that he snapped to his senses, and began to remove the rest of his attire but not before shooting Rufus a warning look as the beast watched him carefully.

''Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to stare?!''

Rufus gave a tired yowl before nestling his head back into the covers, allowing the Doctor to undress comfortably before slipping slowly into the bed. He shifted closer to Rose and reached for her in order to draw her closer, but Rose stirred and rolled over to face him. Their noses were now touching and the Doctor closed his eyes as her breath tickled his lips before he moved higher upon the pillow, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She pressed her nose into his chest and sighed deeply, and a peaceful smile appeared on her face.

''Rose?''

She didn't respond and the Doctor was grateful for the fact that he didn't disturb the peaceful slumber she deserved. He turned his gaze to the wall behind her head and crinkled his nose in thought.

All of this was his fault, but he was going to fix it.

He was definitely going to fix his mind, his memories and the unresolved situation between himself and Rose that had drawn them so close and yet left so much unsaid.

He looked down at Rose and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before closing his eyes. All of it would need to be rectified and spoken of, memories would need to be sobbed over and laughed about and he and Rose would have to suffer a difficult conversation eventually. For now though, in this particular moment, it didn't matter. He was here, secure and warm within a beautiful ship, an exceptionally large and friendly beast by his feet and a momentarily content Rose beside him, and for now, that was enough for the Doctor.

* * *

_Bit of a longer chapter this time due to the fact that I may not update for a while, but hopefully I will. Anyway, as I said, please please please review, you know you want to!_


	17. Chapter 17

_Hey guys! I am so sorry it's been such a long time since I updated, I feel really bad but not only did I suffer from a small dose of writers block but I have just been completely swamped with work and christmas and birthdays and ohh my lord it's just never ending! But I really wanted to get this up before christmas because no doubt all of us will be very busy over the festive season!_

_Anyway, my apologies again and I really hope you enjoy this chapter, I can assure you things will get a lot more exciting afterwards and I also apologize for any mistakes or errors that I've made._

_Oh and thank you to all the support you are all giving me with the reviews and such like, really makes me smile!_

_Oh yeah..._

_Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all :)_

* * *

''_Am I ever going to see you again?''_

_He stared at her properly, unable to pull his gaze away from her tear streaked face despite how much he wanted to; the wind whipped her golden hair furiously across her face and stole the flowing tears from her cheeks as she peered up at him desperately, praying for the answer he couldn't give her no matter how much he wanted to, no matter how much he needed to._

''_You can't.''_

_He wanted to swallow his words along with the tears that threatened to fall. Rose heaved gently as she struggled to catch her breath through her wavering sobs. _

''_What are you gonna do?''_

_He glanced around the beach, ''Oh I've got the TARDIS...same old life, last of the time lords.''_

_A weak smile danced across his face at his words; it really was the same old story, but this story was one that shouldn't have his to follow alone. It shouldn't be a life without Rose, and he knew that she was thinking the same thing._

''_On your own?''_

_He could only nod and try to fight back the growing lump in his throat and the aching burn in his chest. _

_The wind howled fiercely and whirled around them once again, Rose's lips moved and her body trembled with her cries and his insides twisted and soared as she spoke, but the words never reached his ears as everything faded into darkness..._

The Doctor's eyes snapped open and his breath escaped his lips in a quick rush as he glanced sharply around the room in confusion for a few seconds, and then a slight movement upon his chest caused him to look down, and he sighed with relief. During their slumber the Doctor and Rose had shifted and shuffled and now he was flat on his back, head nestled deeply into the soft pillows and had a sleeping Rose draped over his chest, her left arm sprawled across his torso and her head resting just beneath his chin. As his earlier panic faded he became aware of the position of both of his arms that were gently wound around her upper body, holding her closer to him. It was so natural that he would have missed it altogether had it not been for his dream. What had she said to him? What were the words that had left her mouth that had caused such a sensation within him, and obviously within her?

The questions continued to consume his mind and his brow creased into an impatient frown. He still couldn't understand any of this and it was driving him mad, even within his dreams he still couldn't reach the final answer to all of this chaos, to the unsolved mystery that remained between him and the young woman asleep upon his chest. It was becoming unbearable to even look at her properly now, not that he didn't want to because in all honesty he could sit and stare at her for the rest of time, but due to the fact of how he felt every single time his eyes rested on her; each time his gaze travelled over her face, each time he looked into her eyes when they stood less than a few centimetres away from each other, and every single time that she smiled at him he thought his hearts would stop and he would drop down to the floor with his trademark manic grin painted on his lips because when she smiled...

Oh, when she smiled.

He began to sigh heavily and then slowly released the breath with care as his chest fell along with Rose. He couldn't stand to wake her up now, and end up falling into the trap she had snared him in without even meaning to...and yet he still didn't know if this was even real.

Was any of it real? Honestly?

What if at the end of it all, they discovered that the biggest fear that was lingering beneath every other single question and doubt, was in fact the biggest part of truth that existed between them?

He growled in frustration which caused Rufus to grumble from the foot of the bed for being woken up for no obvious reason. The large dog rose to his feet and turned in several circles before settling down again with his head tucked under the end of the blanket. The Doctor continued to stare around the room for a while before giving in to the lingering need to look at her again. He gently pushed her away from his chest until her head slid onto the pillow, and he shuffled down and onto his side so his gaze would be level with hers if she opened her eyes, which he hoped she didn't because he wasn't in the position to really explain why he was staring at her, because he didn't have a reason...other than she was so captivating that he was sure he would lose his mind if he kept his gaze away for too long.

Fragments of glitter from her faded lip gloss lingered upon her pursed lips, dark eyelashes skimmed the top of her cheeks and several strands that lay upon her face fluttered gently with her peaceful breathing. Unable to resist the urge, the Doctor reached out a hand and swept the tendrils away to tuck them behind her delicate ear, and as his fingertips brushed against her temple, a blinding white light filled his vision and the sound of sobbing echoed through his head.

He tore his hand away in panic and the light vanished as quickly as it had appeared along with the noise and the room became still and silent once again. His brow crinkled in the middle as one eyebrow rose up to almost meet with his hairline while he peered curiously at Rose. The content expression upon her face didn't match with the horrible cries inside her head, so she couldn't have possibly be dreaming, could she?

He tugged the tip of his earlobe in thought for a second before tentatively reaching out to her again, his fingers flinching as she murmured and wriggled around before becoming still once again.

''I shouldn't...''

Rufus raised his head with a questioning grumble to look over at his master, who glanced back at him sheepishly.

''Should I?''

Rufus licked the front of his own face with his large tongue and raised his ears in consideration of the question, and the Doctor was almost certain that the cheeky canine was grinning sneakily at him.

''Really?''

His friend yawned loudly before resting his head back upon the raised bump of Rose's foot and the Doctor could only accept this as a sign of encouragement.

''Well...if you say so!''

He inhaled deeply and held his breath as the tips of his fingers inched closer to her forehead, past it and lingered above the patch of skin that acted as a feeble blockade between his mind and hers. The atmosphere around them suddenly seem to freeze, as though time itself had paused just for a split second incase he changed his mind, but as soon as the second turned into another the very tip of his finger pressed against the side of her head.

And for a split second, there was nothing but an endless space of darkness.

A light glimmered in the pit of the gloom and everything burst to life and suddenly he could see; he could see all of it. Each thing and every single person Rose had mentioned, all events and twists in time and earth trembling adventures and soul shattering encounters, absolutely everything. He could feel it as he was surrounded by the memories, the burning ache of sadness accompanied by overwhelming happiness to a roaring fire of rage and anger. It was real, it had happened just as she had told him, it was all really true...

But it still didn't belong to him, not yet.

She was asleep and instead of entering her dreams as he had done before, he had stepped into the very depth of her mind and invaded the privacy of her thoughts. Even though her thoughts were events shared with him, they still didn't belong to him, and he couldn't take them to restore his own, it wasn't right.

Because even though he was seeing it, feeling it, experiencing it in small doses sampled from the real thing, it was like watching a film and he still couldn't remember, or call them his own.

Rose's voice penetrated his mind again, disrupting the anguish and annoyance that had swamped over his being, and he found himself standing upon the beach with the wind in his face once again. Rose stood before him as before with tears cascading down her red cheeks like a waterfall, and she was asking him if he planned to travel on his own. He felt himself nod again and waited for the inevitable howl of wind that would whisk him back to his conscious self.

But it never came.

Instead, he remained where he was and faced Rose as she ducked her head while she struggled to speak.

And nothing could have prepared him for her words.

''_I...I love you...''_

* * *

''Doctor...stop that...''

Rose swung her hand blindly behind her to bat him away.

''Doctor, I'm serious. S'not time to get up yet so quit it!''

She groaned as something nudged the back of her head again. She wrinkled her face in distaste and shuffled round to make him stop.

''Doctor I said-Rufus?!''

The giant dog wagged his tail eagerly and resumed to tap his head against hers in demand for attention. Rose absently scratched his back as she glanced around the room only to find that she and Rufus were the only occupants.

''Doctor?''

Her tired voice seemed so loud in the large bedroom that she almost shrank back in fear. She could never remember a room in the TARDIS being so quiet; even when she and the Doctor were doing their own thing in different parts of the ship there was always noise, always some musical array of sound decorating each room and every corridor.

Now, there was nothing, and it frightened her.

Rose shoved the covers away and padded quickly over to the door which she peered out of warily. The hall seemed to stretch on forever accompanied with the piercing silence that felt so suffocating she was tempted to scream and shout to cover it up. Instead she motioned for Rufus to follow her and the two of them headed along the hallway in search of the Doctor.

He didn't take very long to find; Rose set foot in the console room and spotted him flopped across the captain's chair with his feet resting upon the edge of the control panel closest to him. His face was dark and scrunched up in thought, and his eyes didn't particularly rest on anything but the empty space in front of him. Rose stood back and looked at him properly for what felt like the first time in a very long time, and she couldn't ignore the hard pounding of her heart and the hot feeling in the centre of her palms. She had always loved to watch him, be it on the rare occasion he was relaxing or when he was tinkering with the TARDIS and grinning manically about something he found interesting, she just couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through her whenever he was near, or even when she thought about him.

Even now, she could feel the heat flying through her body at rapid speed.

And despite the situation they were in and the situation they had been in before this had happened...

She loved him.

She loved him more than she ever thought possible, but she didn't love this version, she loved the true version, the real him.

And suddenly she felt a pang of familiarity; it was just like Bad Wolf Bay...

Standing there with two men who were exactly the same in one way and completely different in another, and she only loved one of them; _Him._

She was given the chance to make a choice that day and she seized it as tightly as she could before it disappeared, but it was different this time. She had no choice between the two versions of the one man sat in front of her and she would never be in control of which side won out in the end.

But what if this was the end?

What if this was as far as they could reach along the road of capturing back his memories, his life, _her_ life?Would it be this way all the time from now on? They had the power to flit through time and space as easy as turning on a light but forever...

Forever was a very long time.

Rose focused on him once more and felt half of a smile creep up as he leapt to his feet to tinker with the levers and buttons upon the console. All was not lost and forgotten...so maybe she could live with it.

Maybe...

Rose took a deep breath and marched towards the Doctor with her bare feet making gentle slapping sounds upon the grating as she drew closer. He turned to face her and started to smile until he noticed the blazing look in her eyes.

''Rose,'' He gulped as she seized the lapels of his jacket. ''What are you doing?''

''Making the best of a bad situation.''

With that, she yanked him forward and smashed her lips fiercely against his, allowing all care and all worry to slip away from her and drift along aimlessly through the TARDIS as he whimpered softly against her mouth before winding his arms around her waist and holding her tightly against his chest. They stumbled slightly as air became scarce in their bodies and fell into the console with a loud thud which caused them to pull away from each other abruptly.

His heavy breath blew wisps of hair into her eyes and tickled her cheeks as he stared at her, and Rose leant into his heaving chest and looked right back up at him with her mouth lightly swollen from the kiss and her heart racing. For a few seconds that seemed to last a lifetime neither of them could do anything but swallow air and look at each other until the Doctor finally shook his head dumbly and cleared his throat, but as the words reached the tip of the tongue the floor disappeared beneath then as the TARDIS shook furiously and they were tossed to the floor as a loud wailing alarm reverberated around the walls.

''Doctor!'' Rose shouted as she grabbed hold of the captain's chair in an attempt to pull herself to her feet but was only thrown to the floor as the TARDIS wobbled horribly once again. ''What's happening?!''

The Doctor remained upon his back as he stared around in complete bewilderment. Unbearable noise surrounded him and he felt as though he was being squashed into a very small space and barely noticed as Rose landed beside him.

''Doctor! What's going on?!'' Rose screamed in his ear as she shook him hard by the shoulder. Her fingers seemed to send a shock through his body as he was suddenly on his feet and dancing around the console, staring blindly at the controls that made no sense in his mind. The room shook again and he stumbled back into the chair once again and gazed around in fear...he was completely lost.

''Doctor! Do something, please!''

He turned his attention back to Rose who was lying in a crumpled heap on the grating, staring up at him with a gaze so full of fright he felt his hearts leap into his throat. Tears rose into her eyes as she screamed at him again.

''Doctor, please make it stop!''

And then he realized, she wasn't calling for him...She was doing what she always did when there was danger which was to call for the Doctor, the man who was supposed to fix everything and save the day.

But he wasn't that man.

''Doctor!''

He was someone completely different, a mere shell of a previous person that was something magnificent and here he was, in the shoes of a man who could do anything and yet he didn't have a clue.

''Doctor!''

The TARDIS trembled severely again and he blinked back tears of fear as he stared around the room once again. He had no idea...

He couldn't save them.

''DOCTOR!''

* * *

_Uh oh!! I'm not very good at creating dramatic situations but I tried, I hope you all liked and I will try my best to get the next chapter up very soon after new year! Leave me love :)_


	18. Chapter 18

_Hello my dear friends! Couple of things you need to read here before the story! First of all, I'm so sorry for the big delay with updating, I actually broke my wrist over the holidays and it was strangley painful even typing on a laptop so I decided to take it easy for a bit considering that not only had I broken my left hand which is the one I write with, it was the same wrist I broke when I was fourteen so I thought best not to do any other type of damage!_

_Secondly, this chapter was nearly the death of me, I slaved, sweated, swore and nearly gave up over it because not only is it quite complicated, for me to write at least, it's the big climax scene! well part of it anyway haha. I would like to point out that while I am a mahoooosive Doctor who fan, I make no attempt to pretend that I have any real knowledge of the TARDIS controls so if anything seems a bit weak I do apologize! I really hope it meets expectations._

_Finally this is the longest chapter so far so enjoy it and be happy in the knowledge that the final chapter is well under way and shouldn't take too long to finish so watch this space! Can't believe it's nearly finished :/ maks me feel quite sad actually._

_Anyway, on with the tale!_

* * *

It was the burning slap which spun his head to the side that brought him back to his senses. He blinked in shock and looked at Rose who was leaning beside him on the chair, red faced and trembling with fear.

''Doctor! For god sake you need to do something!''

A loud screeching alarm pierced their ears as the TARDIS lurched and twisted beneath their feet. Rose screamed and clutched the lapels of his jacket fiercely and shook him.

''Doctor!''

''I don't know what I'm meant to do! I don't know anything anymore!''

He started pleadingly at her as they wobbled on the chair.

''Just...do something! Anything!''

''Like what?!''

''Anything!!''

They crashed to the floor once again as everything shook around them. Rose leapt for the console and seized the edge to pull herself up while the Doctor squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

'_**Help me!'**_

'_Doctor, the outcome of this situation lies solely on you and you know that.'_

'_**But I don't know what to do! The Doctor would know and I'm not him! Not anymore...'**_

'_You __**are**__ the Doctor_! _You need to realize that only you can fix this...Look at Rose.'_

The Doctor dug his fingers into the tiny holes of the grating as everything tilted to the left suddenly and objects flew over his head and rolled next to him as he gritted his teeth in an attempt to keep his grip with his eyes still tightly shut. If he couldn't see it, it wasn't happening...it wasn't happening...

'_Doctor...look at her, look at Rose!'_

Somehow he managed to wrench his eyes open and cast his gaze to Rose, who was still dangling precariously from the tip of the control panel as the TARDIS continued to tilt further to the left. But it wasn't the position she was in, even though he wanted to do something that would allow her to stand properly again, it was the expression on her face that turned his burning blood to ice. Her eyes were pressed shut and her mouth was set in a firm grimace as she clenched her teeth in the effort of holding on, her cheeks were burning a bright pink and tears leaked from under her eyelashes.

Sudden images of a frightened Rose from past adventures burst into his mind along with a flurry of emotion that coiled around his hearts as he reached a hand out towards her in a vain attempt to reach her.

'_You are the Doctor and only the Doctor can save her.'_

He nodded determinedly and braced himself against the floor as he grabbed a part of the grating above the panel he was currently holding onto. The room was now completely on its side, the alarm was shrieking loudly and he could make out the sound of Rose shrieking with the effort to keep hold of the console. He glanced at her again to see her reaching for one of the levers upon the console, her fingers stretching as far as they could only to skim the smooth surface of the long handle.

'_**But what can I do?'**_

'_What you always do...be the hero.'_

If it wasn't those sincere words that set an electrical bolt through his body, then it was definitely the high pitched scream that burst from Rose as her grip slipped and she flew towards him. He instinctively stretched out his arm and snatched her hand tightly before pulling her close to his body as he clung onto the slots in the grating with his free hand. Rose gave a startled gasp as she found herself flush against him with her face inches away from his, his breath tickling her face and the manic grin fixed into place.

''Doctor?!''

''Don't you worry about a thing Rose Tyler; we are going to get out of this alive! And hopefully without losing any limbs in the process...although being limbless would be significantly better than being dead and-''

''Doctor! I get it! But how are we going to get out of this?!''

The grin faltered slightly but his eyes remained bright as he looked around.

''That...I don't know...but! I'm sure that if we can just reach the controls I'll be able to figure out what's happening and fix it...somehow...''

Rose buried her face into the crook of his neck as everything trembled once again and the TARDIS groaned heavily under the impact. Several lights began to flash and flicker ominously before a sudden silence fell over the room, causing the Doctor and Rose to freeze completely against each other.

As the seconds dragged by, a sudden thought struck Rose hard, and it made her sick to the stomach.

''Doctor...I've just thought of something...' Rose whispered and he turned to look at her, frowning slightly.

''Oh yeah? What's that?''

''You remember telling me about the time that you were aboard the Titanic spaceship...''

He bent his head closer.

''Yeah...''

''And it crashed into the TARDIS because you haven't fully restored the shields after meeting your former self...''

''Yeah...''

Rose closed her eyes in frustration and inhaled deeply before fixing him with a demanding glare in the hope that he would understand, ''Well...did you restore the shields after our strange encounter a few days ago?!''

And once again, everything seemed to happen at the same time, as realization flew across the Doctor's face a ferocious crashing sound rocketed around them and a sudden hole appeared in the wall that was now below them and presented the companions with a clear view of several giant rocks whirling around the outside of the TARDIS.

The Doctor swallowed.

''Ah...that would explain our situation here wouldn't it...''

Rose, usually never too far from delivering a sarcastic comment at the right time, could only nod in agreement before fear took over.

''Hang on! If the shields are down, how are we still alive and breathing and not being sucked out into space?! How are we not dead! Doctor!''

The Doctor could only shrug absent-mindedly as he glanced around in the hope of a solution.

''Let's not question it and just hope that the TARDIS continues to defy the laws as much as it can for now...''

Rose seemed satisfied with this response but couldn't keep her eyes away from the gigantic rip in the side of the TARDIS. She was always mesmerized by the sight outside of the blue wooden doors but this time, she wished it would just all fade away and disappear for good and that she could wake up safe in her bed, comfortable with a cup of tea and the sound of the Doctor tinkering away somewhere.

''Rose...get on my back.''

The strange request broke into her wishes and she looked at the Doctor who had his gaze fixated on the control panel.

''Sorry?''

''I'm going to climb up to the controls and try to fix this, but I can't just leave you hanging here...you might fall and I'm not entirely sure that I want to gamble on the possibility of you falling out of here altogether...never been a gambling man...or ginger...so I need you to get on my back and hold onto my shoulders why I climb up, okay?''

Rose continued to stare at him.

''Why can't I just climb up with you? I'm perfectly capable.''

The Doctor couldn't help but smile despite the precarious situation they were now stuck in and pressed his forehead softly against hers.

''Never said you weren't but I know that I once promised that I would always keep you safe...or failing that, find some way to save you and that's exactly what I intend to do...''

His eyes drifted from her face to look down at the portal to infinite space beneath them.

''Or...at least die with you after trying.''

Rose became blind as tears clouded her vision; she ached to reach out to hold onto him with her hands but could only settle for nuzzling her forehead against his. She could just see the deep brown of his eyes gazing back at her before they disappeared as the Doctor closed his eyes and allowed everything but the two of them to vanish for just a split second. He needed this, just this one moment before everything became thrown to the mercy of the cosmos.

''Doctor...''

His eyes snapped open to look at her as her tears escaped from her eyes and fell onto his cheeks, but he made no move to brush them away as he bumped his nose softly against hers.

''I'm sorry Rose...that everything's different...that I'm not who I was...who I want to be for you...and that we could potentially die any second now...''

Rose laughed weakly and pushed closer to him until she could feel his breath flickering upon her skin.

''But despite all of that, I know one thing for sure and I always have...''

Rose met his stare and held her breath as he threw her a weak smile before pressing his lips gently against hers, allowing her taste, scent, the feeling of her to just wash over him in what could possibly be the last time. Rose sighed softly against his mouth and met him with such tenderness that he was sure he would lose his grip and fall to his death in his desperation to hold her properly.

He felt her pull back gently and before he could even open his eyes to look at her, her words reached his ears and he felt his hearts shoot into his throat and his entire being become raw with emotion.

''We're gonna live Doctor...you and me...together forever...''

He felt tears of his own burn beneath his eyelids and refused to open his eyes and only managed to stammer a few words before Rose cut him off with a soft kiss.

''Whatever needs to be said, can be said after all of this, because we'll still be here to say it, okay?''

His eyes snapped open and the moisture within them dissolved against the heat of the fire of determination burning inside the molten chocolate brown, and he nodded fiercely before returning his gaze back up to the console.

''Come on, get on.''

Rose complied and placed one hand on the shoulder furthest away from her, took a deep breath and released her grip on the grating before swinging up onto his back. She frantically grabbed hold of his jacket and wound her arms tightly around his neck, causing him to cough in protest. Her head fell against his neck just behind his ear and she noticed the crease in his cheek as he began to grin. She pressed her lips against the tip of his ear.

''Don't you say a word.''

''Wouldn't dream of it...well actually...''

''Doctor!''

''Sorry! Onwards and upwards!''

He arched his back like a cat and began to climb up the grating with surprising agility and strength but Rose couldn't help but look back down at the gigantic tear beneath them and feel that it appeared closer than before.

The Doctor felt her fingers dig tightly into the padding of his jacket, ''Hey, don't look down, okay? 'Cos you'll make me want to look down and I really can't afford to fall victim to curiosity right now...''

Rose complied and pressed her face into his hair and squeezed her eyes shut for what felt like the millionth time in the past ten minutes and braced herself against the Doctor as he shifted and wiggled about. She didn't even want to consider the fact that he could slip or grow weary at any moment; she believed in all things surreal and beyond the imagination...but scenes similar to those from a film were just too much to comprehend, because in real life it just wasn't possible...

''Would you stop thinking such negative thoughts back there?!''

Rose felt her heart stop and her mind fade to blank as shock consumed her.

''Doctor...how...?''

''I would love to tell you but I really don't know how it works,'' He replied in a strained voice as he paused and allowed himself to hang somehow securely from the floor that was now the wall.

''I know you can read minds but...how can you possibly do that if you aren't even invading the telepathic walls by touching my head like normal?''

His back rose and fell heavily with his breathing and Rose felt her head move with his as he shook it.

''I really don't know...that'll be something to figure out after we get past this little snag in our journey. Anyway, stop thinking bad thoughts about me or I might just slip and fall!''

He continued to climb once again and Rose could only frown at his choice of words instead of pursuing the questions floating about inside her mind. She was always wary of the Doctor being able to read her mind and it wasn't because she didn't trust him or that he would sneakily do it while she was asleep, it was because of what he would find inside. He had always told her that all she had to do was place a door infront of whatever she didn't want him to see if the time ever called for a spot of mind reading, but that was the problem...she was afraid that in a small moment of weakness she would allow him to see exactly what he wasn't supposed to...how she felt about him.

Fear began to grip her soul because she had allowed the walls inside her head to gradually fall since he lost his memory and he had just delved into her mind without any warning, without the intention or necessary touching that always seemed to play a part, so he could have seen it all...everything she felt, everything she had never said...It wasn't as though she had never said it before but it was a forgotten thing after their reunion, they were just so happy to be together once again that it didn't need to be said. After all, the return to Bad Wolf Bay hadn't been that long ago...they needed to adjust once more and Rose had prayed that somewhere along the line he would finally tell her what he was waiting for the other version of him to say on that damn beach.

It hadn't seemed so bad then, but now, she was cursing herself and the Doctor for not recalling the unsaid words and unfinished conversations sooner. He knew...well the old him knew how she felt...but on what scale? And would he ever know again?

Rose felt her head burn under the force of her own thoughts.

And then another thought crossed her mind...she fixed her eyes onto the back of his head and stared for a moment before resting her cheek upon the surprisingly soft spikes of his hair and closed her eyes. She concentrated and tried to ignore everything else around them, even though she knew that they were now just below the console and everything was potentially about to be reset to normal...if it was possible. She focused and held her breath as she listened intently

There was nothing, just the silence that she had created inside her own head in an attempt to hear something, anything from the Doctor.

And then...

'_**Rose, get out of my head!'**_

She screamed and flung herself backwards without thought and found her stomach lurching and her heart flying into her mouth as she toppled away from the Doctor, her own screaming echoing in her eyes as her vision flew into array while she fell.

And then a hand snagged hold of hers and she found herself dangling in the air once more. She looked up to see the Doctor looking down at her with pure worry etched onto his face, he had one hand gripping the tip of the console and the other linked with hers. She laughed woozily with relief and swung her other hand up to grasp hold of his arm, allowing her fingers to scrunch the materiel of his jacket tightly.

''Are you okay?!''

''Don't ever scare me like that again!''

''You didn't need to do that! You could have waited 'til later!''

''I was curious!''

''Didn't your mother ever tell you about how curiosity killed the cat?!''

''I'm not a cat!''

''Doesn't matter, you would've been killed regardless of what you are if I hadn't reacted as quick as I did!''

Rose rolled her eyes, ''Trust you to be bigheaded at a time like this!''

''Oi! I'm not being bigheaded!''

''Doctor, just shut up and press the right buttons and get us the hell out of this!!''

The Doctor frowned and turned his attention to the array of buttons and levers that sat in front of him. Rose peered up at him and noticed the tension increasing in his upper body as he struggled to keep his grip on both the console and her, and keep himself from ripping in two in the process. She worried her lip as he groaned before turning to look at her again.

''Rose...''

''What?!''

''Even if I did know what ones to press or what to pull...I can't because I don't have three hands...''

''I've seen you do this a million times and I should know...I know you're hanging onto the right bit 'cos you always stand there before smacking the poor girl with a bloody mallet...reminds me of domestic abuse or something...''

''Rose, now is not the time to discuss equal rights for the TARDIS!''

Rose frowned and racked her memory, trying to picture exactly what the Doctor did as he pranced around the controls and twirled around as he wrenched levers, twisted lit up orbs and smacked buttons with his mallet as some ridiculous music played or as he laughed like a child playing with his favourite toy.

''Rose...anytime now would be good!''

Rose looked back up at him and gasped as the seam of his jacket beneath his shoulder began to tear as he struggled against the uneven weight.

''Doctor, I need to climb up to have a look...this could get painful...for god sake don't let go anytime soon...''

Before he could even question her, he watched as she yanked against his arm and flung herself upwards, seizing his shoulder in a tight grip before wrapping herself around his chest. The Doctor braced both his arms against the console and gritted his teeth as she climbed up his body to stop just next to his cheek. She twisted her head and studied the controls, her dark eyes flitted from one large button to another questionable lever to a collection of wires and still she said nothing.

''Rose...I really don't mean to put a damper on this enjoyable position we're in here but I really don't know how long I can hold onto this thing with you holding onto me...not to imply that you're heavy or anything but...''

''Shut up, I'm thinking! I wish you had spent more time teaching me how to fly the TARDIS instead of prancing around singing to Ian Dury and the bloody Blockheads!''

The Doctor's mind burned for a second as a familiar tune danced through his head.

''You never seemed to mind when you were there dancing with me.''

''That's 'cos I-wait what?''

She turned to look at him and he met her gaze, and tried to keep it steady as his arms trembled under the aching pressure.

''You...remember that?''

''Dancing with you?'' He grinned, ''Always...''

Rose couldn't help herself as she smashed her lips against his, allowing her tongue to clash with his and her teeth to scrape upon his lips as she found herself barely able to restrain herself. He met her force head on for several seconds before giving a short gasp as a bright light flashed infront of his eyes and a memory reverberated inside his head...a mallet...a punk with a bit of rockabilly thrown in, a glowing orb, a long lever...Rose...

''Rose!''

Their heads jolted apart as the flash faded away and they both gaped at each other.

''Was that just-

''Was that both of us?! Doctor-''

''Rose-''

They both looked at the controls and shouted, ''It's those ones!''

As though the TARDIS heard the recognition in their voices, the Doctor's suspicions of the TARDIS managing to protect them momentarily were proved true as everything seemed to shatter in the suspense and a fierce wind penetrated the room, loud crashes and bangs reverberated around them and a blaring alarm once again pierced their ears.

Rose screamed as she buried her head into the Doctor's chest, who clenched his teeth as he heaved them up higher until he was pinning Rose against half of the console.

''Rose, you need to climb up onto this and hold onto the centre until I do what needs to be done here!'' He shouted over the whirling noise. ''And for Rassilon sake don't let go!''

Rose nodded and pulled herself backwards before turning onto her front and scrabbling forward, trying to ignore the fact that stepping on the wrong controls was probably not helping anything in the slightest. She ducked her head against the brutal solar air and wrapped her arms tightly around the central column, forcing herself not to look at the threatening red glow that filled the usually peacefully coloured cylinder. She watched as the Doctor wrenched himself up onto the edge of the console and stared at the controls before looking over at her.

''Brace yourself!''

''Already am!''

He grinned weakly before slamming his fist down onto several buttons in succession before twisting several fixtures, and then leant over to the next panel to tug on the edge of what appeared to be a bicycle pump and then continued to push and punch and pull. Rose watched in amazement as everything seemed the knowledge of what to do seemed to flow naturally from him, as though it was all coming back to him.

''Doctor!''

He raised his gaze after several seconds to display a face so full of determination that Rose felt her heart soar in hope, before it plummeted with dread as his expression changed to one of horror and he reached for her.

''Rose, look out!!''

Before she could even react, a giant glowing rock crashed next to her and threw her from her feet as the impact of it caused a fierce tremor beneath her. She swung her hands out blindly and screamed with relief as her fingers wrapped tightly around two loose cables that dangled from under the console.

''Rose, hang on!'' The Doctor yelled before raising an arm up in front of his face as several explosions burst from the controls and smoke billowed around him.

''Just hold on, I'm nearly done!'' He choked before repeating his previous hand manoeuvres.

Rose gritted her teeth before fixing her eyes onto the cables that led to somewhere underneath the floor, and fear shot through her like a bullet as she noticed the strain that was slowly tearing the already damaged electrical wires.

''Doctor, hurry!''

He rested his hand upon one of the final levers needed and quickly glanced over at her, and something exploded in his mind as he met the sight of Rose suspended in mid air and yelling with the force of holding on and the wind whirling around them. He tried to shake it away but then it was there, invading his senses and consuming his vision.

'_I made my promise a long time ago and I'm never gonna leave you...''_

''_Rose, hold on!''_

_Rose gripping on tight...fearful and worried..._

_Reaching out..._

_Hold on..._

_She slipped..._

''_Nooooo!!''_

''_ROOOOSE!!!!_

_A flash of light....a blank wall....sorrow...loss....emptiness..._

_Flying in the TARDIS...standing...a projection...Bad Wolf..._

'_Am I ever gonna see you again?''_

''_You can't,''_

''_I love you!''_

_A smile..._

''_Quite right too.''_

_Pain...missing something...Rose..._

_Donna...Donna Noble...''But Rose is coming back...isn't that....good?''_

_The empty street...turning around...Rose...with the gun..._

_Happiness...pure joy..._

_She was running towards him, and he was running to her, not fast enough..._

_The Dalek...always surviving while he lost everything..._

''_I missed you!''_

_Glowing..._

''_Rose, he's dying and you know what happens next...''_

''_But you can't!''_

''_I'm sorry...''_

The Doctor growled against the sudden pain that was overtaking his body as his mind burned, his grip increased on the levers as he tried to focus on what was happening now.

It could wait...

Wait...

Rose...

'_You're still you?'_

'_I'm still me.'_

_Her arms...a long awaited embrace..._

_Davros...the burning TARDIS....Donna...Jack...Mickey the idiot, Jackie, Martha....Sarah Jane...Rose...the other him....DoctorDonna..._

_The Children of Time..._

_Must protect Rose..._

'_Leave her alone...'_

'_Why so shy?'_

_Daleks...dying..._

'_What have you done!''_

_His own face staring back at him..._

'_Fulfilling the prophecy'_

He cried as it continued to burn...he could hear Rose calling his name, could feel the TARDIS urging him to finish this...to save them...to save Rose...

Rose...

_Rose...with the other him...a human Doctor..._

'_No 'cos the Doctor's still you!'_

'_And I'm him...'_

'_No! You're my Doctor, always my Doctor, nobody else!'_

_Himself...Rose...and himself..._

'_What were you gonna tell me...last time we were here?'_

''_I said Rose Tyler...'_

_Anticipation....tears...say it....say it!_

'_Yeah...how was that sentence gonna end?'_

'_Does it need saying?'_

_Say it...tell her..._

_Rose..._

_I love you..._

_Rose..._

He screamed as his mind and body seemed to explode from the force of the past, the memories, all he felt for then and now, what was and what will be. Life...his life...their life together coursed a familiar track through his soul and the words flew from his mouth before he could even realized what was happening.

''Rose, I love you!''

Rose stared up at him from where she was suspended and for one merciful moment time seemed to freeze long enough for her to soak up the words, to bask in them and for her to fix him with the biggest smile he had ever seen. Her hair flew all over her face against the solar air, her cheeks were stained with tears and fear still danced across her features but she was smiling...and as always, to him...she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

He loved her.

And now she knew.

She opened her mouth to respond in what could only be a joyful echo of his own words, and he felt himself begin to smile.

And then the cables snapped.

It was already too familiar and he felt his throat burn as he shouted for her as she fell towards the gaping hole that still loomed in the side of the TARDIS.

Rose screamed and watched in horror as the Doctor grew smaller every second that she fell, she barely saw him move and pull something and then fling himself towards her before something struck her head and everything turned a hazy red, whirling and twirling as she felt her body twist in the air before there was a sickening thud, an immense wave of pain...and then silence...

Blackness...silence...

Except for one thing that echoed through her mind before everything faded away.

''Rose...don't leave me.''

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_Ahhh I would hate me too if I was just an innocent viewer reading this, never fear you'll read more soon!_

_Reviews please! :)_


	19. Chapter 19

_Hey guys! Well it's nearly all finished! I was intending for this to be part of the final chapter but then I decided that it would probably work better as a seperate chapter, so you're gonna have to wait just a few more days before the ending, exciting stuff :P_

_Anyway, this chapter isn't very long but I hope it keeps you going until my next and final update of this story! I would also like to point out that all ideas used in this chapter that have been taken from the actual show have been changed and varied to fit more into my storyline, so don't think that I have no idea what I'm talking about because it's been done on purpose I can assure you :P enjoy!_

* * *

White.

Everything was just pure white.

Like a blank canvas waiting for a splash of paint.

_Maybe I'm the splash of paint..._

_If this is dying..._

_If this is death..._

Rose stared around at the nothingness that had completely engulfed her.

She felt nothing.

No pain, no ache, no warmth...

Nothing.

Her body was boneless, unresponsive and weightless.

_Light as a feather..._

_How can this be dying if it's so...empty?_

_Am I dead?_

_...How can this just be...'it'?_

Rose barely, if at all, felt her chest rise as she inhaled what felt like a deep breath as her eyes scanned the clean space that surrounded her. Of all the things she had seen on her travels, of all the most amazing sights ranging from burning suns, fading stars and gaping black holes, of all the different planets that offered so many adventures that had stunned and entranced her...this was by far the strangest and most frightening thing she had ever seen.

How could there just be nothing?! How could she just be lying here, helpless and frozen in the middle of absolutely nothing?

Unless...

No...It wasn't possible...it wouldn't make sense...not that any of this made sense in the first place but this was just...

Could it be?

..._Have I fallen into the Void?_

Rose held a scarce amount of knowledge of the dead space that existed between the many universes, but what she had been told in chilling tales by the Doctor and what she had experienced for herself was enough in her mind. She didn't really understand how it all functioned or how it truly existed, but she knew it was a terrible thing that had almost ripped her away from the Doctor in the past.

But how could she possibly have fallen into it when she fell from the TARDIS?

Unless...the levers, the buttons, the whirling asteroid field...the love stones...

No! This was ridiculous! Rose wanted to bang her fists against the elusive ground she lay upon in frustration but found that her fingers barely even twitched, no matter how much her mind urged the movement.

The Doctor had once told her that there was no up or down within the void, but the planets that had been so unfortunate to be sucked inside where stacked upon each other like round bricks...

He said that some people called it 'The Dead Space'...others called it Hell.

Hell...

Rose's mind suddenly shifted to the idea of Heaven being exactly what you wanted it to be; the time when you were the happiest you had ever been...

What if Hell worked in a similar fashion?

The things that you fear the most...

Rose knew her greatest fear because it often danced in the back of her head when she was alone in the TARDIS...her life without the Doctor...a life without the friendship and companionship...a life without _their _life together.

And this was it.

In a nutshell.

Her life, or perhaps now death, was nothing.

It was just...blank.

_The Doctor..._

Right now, she yearned for nothing more than his arms around her, his soft safe words whispering in her ear, the soft flutter of his hearts against her chest...

She wanted to get up and run, run until she found him, never stop running until he was right there in front of her.

But even if she could move...she'd never find him.

All her ideas didn't matter, it wasn't important where she was, the fact remained that she was here...and he was there...

A burning sensation suddenly coursed through her body, lighting up every single fibre of her being as it flowed up...she could feel it consuming her and before she had the chance to react or to channel the sudden return of motion or fight to keep her senses straight as she felt her vision tilt, she inhaled deeply, arched her neck and shouted the one thing that she could;

''DOCTOR!!!!''

Time passes slowly...or does it...a second could be an hour and a minute could be a second, not that it bothered Rose anymore.

It didn't matter how long she had been gazing up at the same vacant snatch of space above her head, it didn't matter that she could once again no longer move or speak...she wanted to cry desperately though...

She wanted to scream and shout and pull her hair and throw herself against any part of the space she resided in, just to feel anything, just to know that she could still feel something apart from the dull ache inside her skull and the tight feeling within her chest.

Staying here forever would be the death of her.

She wanted to laugh at her own thoughts but of course it wasn't possible.

Rose simply gave in and allowed her eyes to glaze over to be the equivalent of closing them.

Eventually it would all fade away, everything would disappear to go beyond this vast stretch of white and she would be able to vanish along with it, fall into nothingness.

She waited...

And waited...

_Rose..._

It had to happen soon...

_Rose..._

She couldn't stand it any longer!

_Rose...hear me...Rose!_

Her eyes snapped into focus and darted around furiously as a voice trickled into her ears.

_Rose!_

Could it...no...This wasn't fair, it wasn't fair!

_Rose, Rose, Rose!!_

...Doctor?

_ROSE TYLER!_

Her body became ablaze with a searing heat that consumed her completely, her voice broke through the barrier that had been suppressing it and her scream rang out loud as she burst into life once more. Her legs raised and her torso and head followed as she found herself yanked into a standing position and blinking in bewilderment as the voice flew around her once more.

Only now...it was clear, so very clear.

''Rose Tyler, if you can hear me at least say so!''

Rose spun around in the direction of the familiar voice and her heart skipped at the sight of the Doctor standing a certain distance away from her, too far too touch but close enough to see the manic grin that lit his face.

''D-Doctor?!''

He winked at her before holding out a hand and wiggling his fingers at her.

''C'mon Rose, we've got adventures waiting for us, you'd better hurry up!''

Before Rose could even blurt out any of the million questions that were tripping around upon her tongue, the Doctor turned and began to jog in the opposite direction, casting his glance back over his shoulder to check that she was following. At her hesitance he stopped and cocked his head to the side in question.

''Now Rose, it's not like you to miss out on a bit of excitement! Can't do it all on my own!''

Rose gaped at him as the jolly smile appeared upon his lips once again.

''Doctor...how are you-''

''No time for chit chat, we're wasting time! Now come on come on Rose Tyler, Allonsy!''

And he was off again only now the brisk jog had turned into a full pelt run, and Rose found her legs dragging her forward until she was chasing him as fast as she could, her feet pounding hard upon the undistinguishable ground as she flew along. A sound reached her ears and she realized that the Doctor was laughing; a carefree and excited laugh that taunted her as he gained distance, drawing further and further away from her.

''Doctor, wait, please!'' Rose gasped as she urged her body with nothing but sheer willpower in an effort to reach him, even just to snag the edge of his jacket that flapped wildly behind him.

As she called for him again a bright light, brighter than the pure whiteness that already surrounded her, burst from the direction she was running in, so sudden that she scrunched her eyes up and cried out in surprise, only to hear the Doctor's voice echo back to her once again.

''There's always a light at the end of the tunnel Rose...''

Her legs ached and her chest screamed with pain as she continued to run, managing to peek open her eyes to see the Doctor skipping into the light that was now spreading further and further, completely consuming the room.

''Doctor, wait!''

With no other choice, Rose headed into the growing light until she was submerged in nothing but the bright light and yet she continued to race after the Doctor who was barely visible as he now slowed to a casual walk.

''Doctor!''

Then, he simply faded into the light as though he had never been there in the first place.

''Wait!''

Rose sobbed as her body lagged and stumbled against the aching weariness.

She couldn't lose him.

Not again.

She tried to run properly and push past the barrier inside her body that wanted her to stop, but it didn't matter now as suddenly she was falling, falling down and down, further away from the bright light...

It was quiet once again, and she felt nothing once more.

Until a cool hand slipped into hers and pulled her up, towards the light, back into the brightness...

_Rose..._

_Doctor..._

_Wake up Rose..._

_...Huh?_

_Rose, wake up!_

_W-wha..._

_Rose wake up now!_

* * *

_Not long now!_

_Reviews please! Don't just add me to alerts even though that makes me extremely happy, reviews make me happy too!_


	20. Chapter 20

_Hey everyone! I did intend for this to be part of the final chapter/ending but then I figured it would probably work better as a seperate chapter so here it is...not sure how I feel about it to be honest but hey, hopefully you guys will enjoy it. The ending should be up within the next two days so you won't have to wait too long!_

* * *

''Rose...can you hear me? Rose!''

Rose groaned as a sharp ache pounded into the side of her head.

''Mm...''

''Rose...wakie wakie!''

The Doctor watched as Rose's face scrunched up for a moment before her eyes flickered open and blinked rapidly as she gazed around. Finally, her gaze fell onto the Doctor who was perched on the balls of his feet beside her.

He smiled with relief.

''Hello.''

Rose stammered with surprise briefly before she threw herself into him with such force that he flew onto his back with a cry of surprise as she wound her arms tightly around his neck and held onto him. He mimicked her and embraced her fiercely while he breathed a long sigh of relief just as Rose began to sob hard into his chest.

''I...I t-thought I was...''

''You weren't, I'd never ever let that happen to you.''

Rose lifted her head from his chest and looked at him. The Doctor raised his hands from her waist and rested them against her soft blonde hair as he gazed into her eyes that had turned a light hazel amongst the tears.

''But...where was I? I thought I was...trapped in the Void or...d-dead...''

The Doctor smiled gently and brushed away a few tears with the pads of his thumbs.

''Clever idea, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as that...not that it was exciting, more along the lines of frightening and upsetting and...'' His words faded as Rose fixed him with a heated stare that immediately made him stop and become serious once more.

''When you fell, I managed to pull the final two levers in time before I tried to grab hold of you by falling after you, because the hole in the side of the TARDIS didn't seem to be closing fast enough.''

Rose nodded quickly. ''Did...I fall out?''

The Doctor couldn't help but grin.

''Oh no, you did a typical human thing and decided to sidetrack, into one of the coral pillars...that is to say, you crashed headfirst into it before falling down to the floor as the TARDIS returned back to being upright. Although, I wasn't too happy about that fact at the time as it caused me to crack the side of my head upon the floor when you fell on top of me just as I reached you,''

He spoke the last few sentences quickly as thought it was an afterthought that would suddenly escape from his head if he didn't speak it soon. Rose stared at him before sneaking a glance around the room and found to her surprise that aside from a mess of wires sticking out from the console and a ton of odd objects that seemed to have appeared from various nearby cubbyholes lying upon the grating, everything looked normal and peaceful.

''But...'' She looked back at him once more before rushing a hand through her hair in confusion. The Doctor grasped her fingers gently between his before reaching for her other hand to hold in between them upon his chest.

''Rose I promise you, you didn't die. Far from it, you simply became prisoner inside your own head!''

He said it as though it was such a simple thing, but yet they both knew it was far from simple.

''A prisoner in my own head, you mean, I was trapped in my mind?''

''Precisely!''

The Doctor slowly sat up to allow Rose to gently slide into his lap before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her gently as he closed the fingers of his free hand around hers. He wrinkled his nose in thought before tugging on his his ear.

''Can't explain how it happened really, never seen anything like it before. Was almost like your actual body was dead but your mind was alive, so in theory your body was living inside your mind along with everything else, which of course makes no sense.''

Rose nodded slowly as she watched him fiddle and fidget, which the Doctor mistook for a look of confusion.

''Weell, it makes no sense to you, but anyway it's not the point, the point, need to stop saying point, is that you were trapped and I couldn't wake you up by simply shaking and shouting and prodding you so I just took a chance and hoped that it would work.''

''You went into my mind, like when I was having the nightmare and you managed to get inside it and wake me up!''

''Exactly!'' They both grinned and gripped each other's hands tighter.

'Took me quite a while to find you,'' He continued. ''It was all just so blank and white and confusing I was wondering if I'd gone blind without realizing.''

Rose giggled, ''How can you go blind without realizing?''

''The same way a person can lose their memory with knowing it.''

His words whipped the smile away from her face as the reality of what had happened once again crashed around her. More tears escaped and trickled down her red cheeks which the Doctor quickly brushed away before he winked.

''Luckily for me though, I wasn't blind! Have to say though I've never experienced anything like that inside a person's head before,''

His eyebrows lifted for emphasis and he raised his hand to tug on the tip of his ear. Rose watched his movements like a hawk as he continued to explain.

''It's almost as if you tricked yourself into believing you had actually died and your mind projected what you expected...being dead was supposed to be like, what it was supposed to look like, and obviously you envisioned it to be...nothing.''

Rose laughed bitterly. ''That's a bit of an understatement don't you think?''

She offered a small smile as the Doctor looked at her with a confused stare.

''There's nothing and then there's _nothing_, right Doctor?''

He couldn't help but smile at her words, for they both knew that there was a big difference between them.

''Weell, okay so you envisioned it to be _nothing,_' He allowed the word to slide slowly off his tongue as though he was considering finding a better description. ''I just don't understand why you expected it to be so empty and, well, frightening I suppose is the word for it, considering you couldn't move. Not sure why you would want to envision such a thing anyway, all that nothingness, a place without chips! What on earth would you have done without chips, eh?''

His encouraging smile faded while he looked at Rose as she remained silent for a few moments. Her thumb grazed the back of his hand slowly in thought before she took a deep shaky breath.

''Cos I know that's what my life would be like without you.''

The Doctor frowned and raised his hand to cup her cheek tenderly and Rose sighed quietly as she leaned into his touch.

''Rose?''

He studied her face carefully; her large beautiful eyes that shone with unshed tears, her golden hair that flickered gently as his breath washed against her soft peachy cheeks, her full red lips that should have been stretched into a smile but instead were pursed in an attempt to not cry anymore. She swallowed heavily before covering his hand that rested on her face with her own, and his eyes met hers in patience before she spoke again.

''My life...It was just provincial before I met you; just the same thing every day, nothing was ever exciting or different, and I know for certain that I would have spent my entire life living the same thing each and every day if I hadn't met you.''

He beamed with pride. ''You mean, if you hadn't been attacked by Autons disguised and I hadn't grabbed your hand and told you to run for your life before blowing up the shop?''

Rose automatically grinned. ''Yeah, that. Quite surprising though, considering you're quite fond of a little shop.''

''Ah well, I'm afraid my leather wearing predecessor wasn't quite as fond of a little shop as I am. And besides, Henrik's isn't exactly little!''

They both chuckled lightly before the mood became sober once more. The Doctor shuffled as the leg Rose was perched on began to grow numb and Rose gave a startled cry of surprise as she found herself sitting upon both of his legs now and her nose just a few centimetres away from his own. He smiled lightly and Rose forced herself to smile back and tried to ignore the fact that she was now, to put it bluntly, straddling the Doctor with her legs either side of him and her hands resting on the upper part of his arms, while his hands lay perfectly upon her thighs.

''A-anyway,'' Rose stammered as she shifted under his intense stare. ''If that hadn't happened, and if you had never grabbed my hand and pulled me into a whole new world full of...well, full of all of this adventure and wonder, then I would just be stuck in some boring job and living at home with Mum and Mickey watching soaps and daytime TV shows and listening to Mum prattle on the phone...just stuck in a dead-end life.''

The Doctor knew that while she adored and loved both Mickey and Jackie, the life down on Earth that they shared together wasn't enough for Rose, and it never would be, even if he hadn't appeared and whisked her off to the stars. He grinned and wrapped his arms completely around her body to give her an affectionate and understanding hug.

''I know that, and it's understandable to always want more. Even if someone leads the most exciting life, they still crave more of it because there's so much of it to be had.''

His grin faded and his head tilted to one side as a thoughtful frown descended upon his face. Rose mimicked the movement of his head and raised her eyebrows.

''What?''

''Just...I don't understand how that explains what happened inside your head, I mean I know life would be boring without yours truly but-''

''No Doctor, I said that's what my life would be like without you...meaning my life...''

Rose paused and closed her eyes briefly, allowing the sickening thud of her heart and her squirming insides to consume her senses for just a moment. She could feel the heavy gaze of the Doctor lingering on her face and she felt a strong urge to leave her sentence unfinished but as she opened her eyes again and met his, the words tumbled out of her mouth just as her heart leapt into her throat and butterflies exploded in her stomach.

''My life would be nothing without you, it would just be empty and pointless and blank and...'' Rose inhaled deeply as she watched his expression change from a deep frown to one of surprise as the words continued to pour from her. ''It would be absolutely nothing, I would have nothing if I didn't have you.''

The Doctor could do nothing but look at her as he finally understood why he had found himself stumbling through a blank space, and why all traces of Rose that should have overwhelmed him the second he entered her mind felt distant and weak. In believing that she was dead, her mind had produce a place that would project exactly what it would be like for her...but it wasn't the believing that she was dead that created it...it was the idea of being without him forever more, the deep lingering fear deep inside her that one day she would be without him...and that's how it would be; empty, blank, meaningless...nothing.

And, he noted slowly as he reached up to cup Rose's face in his hands, his life would be exactly the same without the one shining light in his life that kept him going each and every day.

Rose.

_His_ Rose.

''Doctor?''

He focused on the delicate face that rested between his hands and felt his hearts ache at the sight of her, just looking at her made him feel as though he was floating on air. Her eyes scanned his face worriedly as he continued not to say anything, and the reason for that was he had a million words and questions and answers swimming and colliding inside his head that he didn't know which to grant freedom to first.

Instead he did the one thing that seemed perfect in his mind. He closed the tiny gap between himself and Rose and gently placed a delicate and lingering kiss on her perfect lips. Sudden tears sprung to his eyes as Rose returned his kiss with equal tenderness, allowing the grip she held on his arms to tighten just enough for him to know that it was real, that this was really happening.

That for the first time since the beginning of their journey, it was _him_ who was kissing Rose.

Oh, and was it wonderful.

His hands softly grazed the length of her body as they travelled down to her waist where he allowed his arms to wind around her and before he could control himself, he was embracing her as though he had never held her before in his entire life, and he was smothering her face and neck with light kisses and grinning as her musical laughter whirled around his head.

''Oh, Rose Tyler, what would I ever do without you?'' He murmured as he buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled her sweet scent as she pressed her cheek against his shoulder in an even stronger hug. He felt a massive grin spread across her face before she pulled back to look at him.

''I dunno, why don't you tell me?''

''Oh Rose, silly, wonderful and beautiful human that you are, words could never say enough.''

The grin that was already upon her face escalated until he was sure her face would stretch from the force of it, and he felt a similar smile appear on his own face as they regarded each other for a moment. Rose raised her left hand and snaked it into his hair, her fingers delicately swooping through the wild brown strands. His head tilted into her touch and his eyes became lazy as her fingers tickled him gently.

''Doctor...''

''Yes?'' He answered almost sleepily.

''What you said before, when I fell...did you mean it?''

His eyelids slowly lifted until Rose found herself once again gazing into his warm brown eyes, marvelling at the stories and lives that whirled inside of them. His head rose to an upright position and he seized both of her hands in his before holding them tightly to his chest, and Rose felt her own heartbeat matching the rhythm of both of his.

''I meant it. With absolutely everything in the universe, I meant it Rose Tyler.''

Rose could have cried with happiness but there was no need for anymore tears of any kind as the Doctor leant forward and crashed his lips against hers in a kiss laced with passion, want, burning desire and nothing short of his overwhelming love for the human he had encased within his arms. If he could he would stay exactly like this forever, but a thought brushed across his mind and he pulled back to look at a flushed and gasping Rose.

''What about you? All those things that happened before, was that just a case of...'' He flipped his hand in the air as he struggled to find the right words. ''Confused feelings due to our dilemma or...was it real?''

The famous Rose Tyler grin, complete with a pink tongue between teeth, met his eyes.

''Are you asking me if I love you, Doctor?''

He blinked before he cleared his throat in a shy manner. ''Erm...yes?''

She reached up and held his face in her hands and leant her forehead close until it was touching his. Their eyes lingered on each other and for a split second, the Doctor felt a tremor of worry slither down his spine as she looked at him.

And then, he was tackling her to the floor in a crushing hug with laughter and grinning with glee as her words mirrored his own that he had spoken once upon a time;

''Does it need saying?''

* * *

_I know a lot of people are reading this story, as my story traffic and alerts tells me which of course makes me extremely happy, but please please please review! I like to know if you're all enjoying it or if you do think it's just ridiculous :P it'll make me smile either way...well, mostly haha._

_Hope you enjoyed it!_


	21. Chapter 21

_I know, I know! I'm terrible! I'm so sorry for the gap between the updates, I've struggled with this chapter and even now I'm still not satisfied with it, but this is probably as good as it's going to get. Anyway, finally, it's finished! Complete, done, My first finished fanfic! Woohooo for me!! :D_

_A massive massive huuuuuuge thank you to absolutely everyone who reviewed this story, you really are fantastic and I can't express how pleased I am that you enjoyed it, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So here it is, the last chapter, not without mistakes and I apologize for any errors, but as I said, it's the finale! Enjoy, thank you and goodnight!_

_Just a thought...is there anyone else who is now insanely jealous of Davina after watching her with David Tennant tonight on Comic Relief?! 'Cos I know I flippin' well am! Lucky girl!!_

* * *

For once in what seemed like a long time, all was still and quiet except for the calm humming sound that whirled gently through the TARDIS which could have been the equivalent of the ship releasing a thankful sigh. Not that anyone could blame the old girl, the journey had been terribly rough on her and it almost seemed unfair to allow her to continue.

But of course, she was just as stubborn as the manic Time Lord that attempted to pilot her.

Rose nestled her head back into her pillow and allowed her thoughts to wash over her once again. It had been nothing but a strange and frightening time over the last few days, which didn't sit right with her as the TARDIS was meant to be her haven, her safe place, but for a while it had been the hardest place to remain in.

It was almost a relief when she had fallen victim to her own mind, for she would no longer have to suffer a half life with half of the person she longed to share a full life with. Of course, it had been a bigger sense of relief tied in a bow with a bright sensation of happiness when she had opened her eyes to find the Doctor, complete and whole, leaning over her and smiling at the sight of her.

It was surreal when she really considered it, the embracing and kissing as though it was their last chance, when really they knew full well they had all the time in the world, in the universe to do whatever they wished.

And of course, there was the wonderful, thrilling and so truly magical event of him telling her the one thing she had wanted to hear for so long, ever since the day at Bad Wolf Bay when she longed for nothing but his hands in her hair, his lips on hers and his promises caressing her ears.

It was too perfect, too good to be true, and yet Rose knew it was real as the excited grin spread across her face and she wriggled against her pillow with a snigger of glee. Of course, a moment as wonderful as that couldn't last forever because the Doctor, being himself once again, had leapt to his feet and danced around the TARDIS console, praising and hugging any part of his beloved ship that he could before settling back into the familiar routine of tinkering with wires and smashing his trusty mallet against buttons and levers. Rose would have throttled him if she hadn't been so elated and delirious with love and happiness for the person that was babbling nonsense at her once again, because this all led to the one solid fact that screamed inside her head in a voice so cheerful she barely recognized it as her own;

_He was back._

However, amidst all the joy and jumping and dancing around in which Rose had found herself caught in a one handed version of the Tango with the Doctor while he used his free hand to smash several more buttons into action, a sudden thought had hit her full pelt and caused her stomach to lurch in worry. Where was Rufus?

The Doctor had paused for a moment and looked around before the grin that already covered his face grew and he tapped his foot on the grating below them. Rose had only stared at him in confusion before he released her hand and fished around the inside of his jacket to pull out a long metal hook. He leant down and yanked up the piece of metal to reveal a large animal without a nose staring up at them. Rose had screeched with relief as Rufus bounded up beside them and lapped up the many hugs that were then bestowed upon him before sauntering off to presumably find a place more comfortable than underneath the console. The Doctor could only suggest he had taken cover when the chaos had become evident, because apparently dogs with no noses from Barcelona were quite the cowards.

As Rose watched the Doctor work his magic on his tired ship, she had pitched the question that had remained unspoken for a while; why had this happened?

He had no answer for her and made no effort to create one for her own satisfaction, and it was this that led her to suggest the only possible reason there could be. She had stepped up beside him and reminded him of the story he had told her right at the beginning of the sorceress who had used her power to make the journey as difficult as possible, allowing people to prove their worth and to prove their love in order to survive it. They had both stared at each other as they both realized that it had been no accident, no terrible turn of fate that had decided to ensnare them for no reason.

It had been all part of the plan created by the sorceress long ago, to make the path to true love that more difficult. The Doctor hadn't exaggerated when he had said that she was a scorned woman and determined to make it hard for any other innocent person seeking the truth of their love for another.

For some reason it made both Rose and the Doctor erupt into a fit of laughter, for it seemed so absurd that they could barely make it past a group of normal human beings without getting into trouble at the best of times, and yet they had managed to make it through an ancient and magical trail without any permanent damage.

Rose grinned once again to herself before stretching her legs and curling her toes to allow the gentle satisfying ache of her tired muscles to wash over her, but the relief was short as the tips of her toes brushed against something warm. Her eyes snapped open and a brief sensation of panic took hold as she considered either leaping from the bed or turning around to see what exactly was beside her, but as a muffled groan and a shifting of limbs occurred she gave a short laugh as she realized it was nothing threatening, but simply the Doctor sound asleep next to her.

She turned onto her side to face him and promptly burst out laughing. His entire being was submerged under the thick pink duvet except for a tuft of brown hair that stuck out from the top. She had seen him asleep only a few days ago and suspected that she would never bear witness to it again, but here she was beside a Doctor who was so asleep she doubted that even a repeat performance of their recent adventure could wake him.

Rose had no idea how long they had been asleep for, it couldn't have been more than half a day but it felt like years. Her muscles throbbed gently and her eyelids flickered under a lingering wave of sleep as she shuffled closer to the unseen Doctor in an attempt to absorb some of his warmth. Her hands wriggled beneath the covers until they came into contact with his chest and she pulled herself flush against him in the hope that he would awaken but he didn't even twitch.

''Doctor,'' Rose murmured softly and gently poked him with the tips of her fingers, stopping to admire the firm texture of his upper arms before realizing that he still hadn't responded.

''Doctor, wake up!'' She called, shaking him slightly by the arm.

She frowned as she received no sign of life from him. She shifted up to rest on her left elbow and bent her head close to the opening of the cover where his hair peeked out from.

''Doctor!!''

''Wha-?!''

The cover immediately became twisted as the Doctor jolted awake and rolled around in confusion, Rose leant back slightly as one of his arms broke free and swung around blindly as he called her name out loudly.

Rose snorted.

''Good morning.''

The chaos beneath the covers came to a halt and slowly the tip of the duvet peeled back to reveal a bleary eyed and dishevelled Doctor. He blinked at Rose before smiling sleepily and dropping his head back onto the pillow with a groan.

''Morning Rose...wait is it actually morning? Are you sure you're just not saying that because that is what one usually says to someone when they wake up, regardless of the actual time of day. You know I-Oi!''

His eyes crinkled in mock annoyance as Rose flopped back onto the pillow and pretended to snore loudly. He jabbed her gently in the side as she grinned at him.

''Doctor, as much as I enjoy your rambling, it is too early even if it isn't technically morning.''

The Doctor pouted playfully before pulling Rose flush against him and burying his nose in her hair.

''Strange little human.''

Rose sniggered. ''Big-headed alien.''

''Oi! I am not big-headed, just clever! And wearing pyjamas!''

Rose grinned as he peeked back under the cover and gave a yelp of surprise.

''Oh for the love of-would you please explain to me, my dear Rose, why I am currently wearing a pair of pink pyjama trousers?''

''You didn't want to spend time looking for somethin' to wear in bed, and you said you would feel left out if I was wearin' pyjamas and you weren't...so I dug those out, they're much too big for me and they looked like they would fit you, and they do!''

He frowned. ''But why do you get to have a decent looking set of jammies while I'm stuck in a pair of pink trousers covered in flowers?!''

Rose chuckled at his childish tone before admiring her own attire; blue shorts and a blue t-shirt with a picture of a rabbit clutching a flower on the front. Not exactly the sexiest pair of pyjamas but she preferred this to an ill fitted piece of lingerie.

And the Doctor seemed to share this feeling as he pulled her closer and allowed his fingers to gently roam the exposed skin of her lower back.

Rose purred in delight and tilted her head back to look at him.

''Just for your own reassurance, I wouldn't have you any other way, I quite like your big head.''

''You better...or else!''

Rose grinned and nipped the tip of his chin gently before placing kisses along his jaw.

''Or else what?''

The Doctor closed his eyes and groaned.

''Or else you shall have to be punished.''

''Punished eh?'' Rose ducked her head into the crook of his neck and allowed her breath to tickle his skin as she continued to kiss him. ''How exactly?''

She squealed with laughter as the Doctor suddenly wrapped his arm completely around her and rolled sideways until she was flat on her back with him looming over her, fingers dancing across the skin of her hips as he tickled her furiously.

''No, n-no please! Doctor, stop! I-I can't breathe!'' Rose shrieked as his attack progressed up her sides to her collarbone and he found himself laughing along with her as she tried to slap his hands away.

''I'm not gonna stop until you say it!''

''B-but I did say it!''

''Then you gotta say it again! Say, 'I, Rose Tyler, think the Doctor is the most amazing and most clever and most handsome being in the whole wide universe!' Go on, say it!''

Rose glared playfully at him through sparkling eyes.

''I, Rose Tyler, think-ah- that the Doctor is the most amaaazing and most c-clever and most handsome being in the whole wide universe!''

The Doctor withdrew his wriggling fingers and rested them upon her hips and grinned as she inhaled several deep breaths and trembled with shaky laughter.

''Aw Rose, I had no idea! Such a thoughtful thing to say!''

''You are such a git!''

''Oi!''

They grinned brightly as they looked at one another. Even though Rose had spent the majority of the past few hours before sleep simply looking at him, she couldn't help but marvel at the sight of him leaning over her, dark manic hair falling forwards into his warm eyes, the light dusting of freckles that she had the strangest urge to count over and over, the soft smile that was now ghosting over his perfect lips as he studied her in return. Rose couldn't help the shiver that trickled down her back as he raised a hand and gently trailed it through her hair, letting it fall through the gaps in his fingers before repeating the process. He really couldn't help himself when it came to Rose Tyler, it wasn't enough to just look at her once every hour or to simply touch her hand every so often with his own, he needed more but he wasn't even sure if it was possible to have enough of her. The sparkle within her big eyes and the gentle pout of her delicious mouth combined with her glowing cheeks was enough to send him weak at the knees, and the tantalizing curves of her physique had the ability to send him mad. Her body, which he was now tracing the outline of with his hands, never ceased to amazed him.

Rose Tyler, face, body and mind never failed to amaze him, and that was a solid truth that he would never doubt for as long as he lived.

He felt himself shudder as he realized Rose was mirroring his movements upon his own body and they both smiled shyly as their eyes met over the lingering yet comfortable silence. It was ridiculous how natural it felt, and absurd how shy they could suddenly become with one another all at the same time, but then something as fragile and wonderful as this could never be simple, nothing ever was.

But as long as he could have a moment like this each day, even for just a fraction of a second, he didn't mind.

He shivered lazily as he felt a hand creep up his shoulder and into his hair where delicate fingers gently skipped around, causing his eyes to close and his head to tilt and roll to the side in delight.

''Now...'' Rose cooed softly as she rested her free hand lightly upon the Doctor's chest. ''About that punishment you mentioned earlier...''

The Doctor opened his eyes and grinned wickedly.

* * *

''Are we ever gonna get there?''

The Doctor paused mid-dance and turned to look at Rose. She was perched upon part of the console, idly fiddling with the hem of her shirt as she watched him dart around the controls. The general whirring noise of the TARDIS seemed louder than ever as he yanked a lever and rested a hand on his hip, eyebrows quirked in amusement.

''Y'know, most humans would be more concerned with snogging the face off their new lover than where they are in the regions of space.''

Rose chuckled. ''So is that what you are, my new lover?''

He grinned proudly. ''Well...''

He walked over and draped his arms around her, his large grin switching into a teasing smirk. Rose rolled her eyes as she wound her arms behind his neck.

''As much as I do love the whole snogging thing, as you so eloquently put it, I can't help but wonder if after all this commotion, we are actually going to get there.''

The Doctor raised a hand and gently tucked several strands of hair behind her ear.

''Well, my little impatient human, what would you say if I told you that we're already there?''

Rose's eyes grew wide and a shocked smile fumbled its way onto her lips.

''We-really?''

''Oh yes!''

The Doctor released his grip upon her waist and hurtled down the ramp that led towards the doors. He placed a hand on one of the wooden panels and grinned widely.

''You wanna take a look?''

''That's somethin' I've been wonderin' about, how can we possibly stick our arms out of the TARDIS?'' Rose asked as she came to stand beside him.

''To put it simply, the TARDIS will protect us, just leave it at that!'' He chuckled and placed both of his hands upon the door handles. Rose glanced sceptically at the doors before she met his twinkling gaze.

''No turning back once I open the doors, Rose.''

They studied each other for a moment; brown eyes colliding in a steady silence. Rose felt a smile tickle her lips as he cocked an eyebrow at her and she placed her hands over his, curling her fingers around the handle beneath his.

''Stop bein' so dramatic!''

Without further ado, the Doctor tightened his grip upon the handles and stepped back quickly as he flung the doors open. Rose felt a gasp leave her throat and she barely registered the feeling of the Doctor's fingers linking with hers as they both leant against the door frame, staring out at the wonder that was suspended in front of them.

Colours.

Thousands of them.

Rose had seen many rainbows in her lifetime but this was something else. Millions of rocks swam lazily in the midnight sky, tails of bright light trailing behind them like shooting stars. Tons of purples, blues, greens, reds and every other single colour imaginable whirled throughout the still air, swooping and diving and painting the dark canvas with many vivid glowing strips and tints of colour and light. A variety of sounds suddenly met their ears and Rose felt unexpected tears come to life in her eyes at the beauty of the noise; soft, melodic humming combined with high and trembling calls that could have almost been a thousand people singing harmoniously. She didn't shift her gaze as the Doctor gently squeezed her hand.

''Ready?''

''Huh?''

She slowly turned her gaze to meet his as he stepped closer to her and released her hand to wrap his arm around her waist. She smiled gently as he pulled her against him and his eyes, now glowing with the light of the dazzling stones outside, met hers.

''Are you ready to do this?''

''Are you?''

His eyebrow quirked at her question as a playful smirk danced upon his lips. Rose felt her heart flutter as he bent his head forward and captured her lips with his. It didn't matter how many times he would kiss her from here on out, she would never get enough of the warmth that emanated from his soft lips, or the sweet taste of him as his breath mingled with hers, or the way his fingers would gently trace patterns on whatever part of her that they rested on. She inhaled deeply as he pulled back and smiled softly.

''Only if you are.''

The simple fact that he had faith in her was enough motivation for Rose. She carefully wriggled free of his embrace and stepped closer to the entrance of the TARDIS until the tips of her shoes touched the very edge of the ramp. Her fingers wobbled gently as she raised a hand before she turned to look at him.

''My arm isn't gonna get sucked off if I stick it out there, is it?''

He grinned and shook his head in amusement as he came to stand directly beside her.

''If that was gonna happen, you'd be missing all of your limbs by now.''

Rose laughed nervously before she returned her gaze to the ongoing rainbow shower on their doorstep. It was like looking into a giant kaleidoscope; full of patterns and colours that could twist and turn into any shade and any shape. Rose almost felt as though she was interrupting a very intimate dance as she swallowed heavily and slowly extended her arm out into the atmosphere. The Doctor mimicked her movement and the two companions watched in awe as the stones began to circle and swirl closer to them, the enchanting music growing louder as the distance grew smaller.

''There!''

Rose twirled the fingers of her waiting hand as a stone looped lazily towards her, leaving a streak of royal blue in its wake as it crossed the sky to reach her. The musical chanting once again met her ears and she was instantly reminded of a chorus of violins uniting in a leisurely harmony. Her eyes twitched towards the Doctor who was waving his fingers excitedly at a shimmering pink stone as it glided over to him, its trail of light standing out brightly against the dark background. A different song was heard; a mix of soft voices singing sweetly and the gentle yet steady trill of what sounded like piano keys being pressed in deliberate slowness. Rose turned her attention back to her own stone as it swooped closer before it took a final dive and she quickly snatched it out from the air and held it tightly to her chest with both hands. She watched with baited breath as the Doctor flung his arm out further with enthusiasm before he retracted with a triumphant burst of laughter. Rose grinned as he held up his clenched fist in which a bright pulsating glow of pink could be seen, accompanied with the muffled sound of its song. She stared down at her cupped hands and brought them away from her chest to show him a similar sight, and he smiled reassuringly.

''Well...I'll show you mine if you show me yours!''

Rose snorted and shook her head.

''Typical.''

The potential for banter faded between them as they both stared down at their clenched fists before their eyes clashed with anticipation. Simultaneously they extended both of their arms and after a heavy pause, dropped the now quietly singing stones into each other's free palm. Rose immediately squeezed her eyes shut as she drew the hand clenching the Doctor's stone up to her face, desperate to hear the song as clearly as possible. The Doctor chewed his bottom lip so fiercely that it began to sting as he stared at the glowing stone in his hand, and he sensed the unmistakable copper taste of blood as suddenly, the songs faded and the bright light of the stones vanished, leaving only a small black rock for any evidence that any of this had been real.

Rose sucked in a shaky sob as the silence engulfed her. The Doctor's words from the beginning of the their journey floated inside her mind; his words describing exactly what it meant if the light and the song vanished after being presented...

''Rose...''

''Don't say it!''

''But...''

''It doesn't matter!'' Rose's brown eyes snapped open to glare at him fiercely through her tears. ''It doesn't mean a thing, I know how I feel, and some stupid stone isn't going to change that!''

''But, Rose, look!''

He held up his hand that was still cradling the stone and tears trickled from Rose's eyes as her gaze lingered on the captivating pink glow that seemed to burst forth from the Doctor's very skin. A sudden shift in the air twisted around her and the familiar music that had surrounded them moments ago danced around her ears and she quickly opened her hand with a gasp to stare at the blue stone clutched within her fingers. A mixture of a laugh and a sob burst from somewhere inside her chest as she looked up at the Doctor's ecstatic expression and without a second thought, she quickly shoved the stone into her pocket and flung her arms around his neck, her lips crashing against his with a burning intensity. The Doctor quickly responded by dropping his own stone into his jacket and cupping her head in his hands and with a short intake of breath, his tongue gently collided with hers and he felt like he was drowning as her sweet scent overtook him. He groaned heavily as her fingers snaked into his hair and he smiled to himself as she moaned unintentionally against his lips. Rose could have sworn that the ground had disappeared from beneath her feet as she completely forgot about everything save for the man in her arms, all she could see, taste and feel was the Doctor, her wonderful Doctor. It was only when she stumbled slightly from a lack of breath that the Doctor released her and gazed down at her with a sparkling gaze and flushed cheeks. She gave a wheezy laugh as he lowered his head and bumped his nose gently against hers.

''I knew it,'' His words ghosted across her face before he trailed a line of feather light kisses across her cheek.

''Knew what?''

''The second that you read my mind, and the moment where both of our minds connected just before you fell, I knew.'' He breathed as he moved his lips to press them against her forehead. Rose tilted her head back to look at him.

''Doctor?''

He smiled, and for once it wasn't his typical manic grin, so full of boyish charm. It was a genuine, awestruck and completely honest, simple smile.

''That regardless of the stones proving it to be true or not, this is exactly how it's meant to be.''

Rose couldn't think of a word to say that would express how much she agreed with him, but it turned out that it didn't matter as the Doctor suddenly bent down and swooped her into his arms in a wonderful bone crushing embrace. Rose buried her face into his neck and gripped the back of his jacket tightly with her hands as he twirled her around the room, his laughter swirling around them like a whirlwind. It was all too perfect, all too good to be true; the love stones had proven their love to be the truest of true, and if it wasn't for the fact that the Doctor was kissing her with so much passion and care, Rose would have never have believed it.

''I guess this means that we'll be having lots more adventures,'' She gasped as he released her. He grinned manically.

''Forever and ever, Rose.''

''Together?''

He stroked the pad of his thumb lovingly across her cheek as he once again marvelled at the wonder that was his incredible Rose.

''Always...but first...''

A sly grin snaked onto his face as he hurtled down the ramp and, with one last thankful look towards the psychedelic display of lights and music that still cascaded outside, closed the doors before he turned to face Rose with a blazing glow in his eyes. Rose felt her stomach twist with excitement as he crept towards her.

''Doctor...what?''

She shrieked with surprised laughter as he flew towards her and swung her completely over his shoulder, his arm wrapped protectively around her legs. Rose giggled from her upside down position as he proceeded down the familiar hall of the TARDIS, humming joyfully to himself as he ignored the light pounding of her fists on his back. Her curious yet excited questioning increased as she spotted the unmistakable door that led to the Doctor's bedroom.

''Doctor, what are you doin'?!''

He paused before the door and shifted her body until she was safely clutched in his arms against his chest. He pressed his lips against hers in a searing kiss before he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. He nudged the door open with his foot and stepped inside.

''Come, Rose Tyler! There are adventures to be had!''

The door swung shut as the TARDIS came alive with the perfect sound of the Doctor laughing joyfully with Rose Tyler.

The Doctor and his Rose.

Just as it should be.

* * *

_Thank you!!! :)_


End file.
